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Pemón Foodways

Pemón

Indigenous

The PEMÓN of the GRAN SABANA in south-eastern Bolívar — the tepui country, including Auyán-tepui and Angel Falls, which is their territory. Bitter yuca processed into CASABE and into KUMACHE or katara, the pepper-and-cassava-juice condiment made by boiling down the expressed yare with ají until the cyanide is driven off and what remains is a dark, fiery sauce — ⚠ A DETOXIFICATION TECHNIQUE THAT PRODUCES A SEASONING, described here and not given as a method. Plus TUMÁ, the pepper-pot soup; river fish; game; and the conuco. ⚠ THEY HAVE BEEN CENTRAL TO DISPUTES over the Canaima national park, mining and the power line across their land.

Atlas — where and when

Where in the world

Communities and languages

  • Pemón community documented

Languages: Pemon

What is recorded

  • Pemón territory in the Gran Sabana includes the tepui country and Canaima. Kumache or katara is documented as produced by boiling down the expressed juice of bitter cassava with ají until the cyanogenic compounds are driven off, yielding a condiment. The technique is described and is not reproduced here as a method. documented

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.