Chontaduro Boiled in Salt
INGREDIENS:
- Chontaduro fruits
- Water
- Salt
- Honey (optional)
PREPARATION
- Boiling the fruits: Place the chontaduro fruits in a pot and cover them with water. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon per liter of water).
- Cooking: Boil the fruits over medium heat for around 30-40 minutes, until they become soft. You can check their readiness by piercing them with a fork — they should be easy to puncture.
- Draining: After cooking, drain the water.
- Serving: The chontaduro fruits can be eaten either warm or cold, usually without any additional ingredients. If you have honey, you can serve them with a bit of it for sweetness.
The actions of corporations in the Amazon are having a devastating impact on the lives of indigenous tribes, such as the Yanomami, Awajún, Kayapo, and Shuar. Deforestation, resource extraction, and industrial agriculture carried out by multinational corporations are not only destroying the rainforest but also stripping these communities of the resources that have sustained them for generations. The rich biodiversity, which forms the foundation of their diets and way of life, is disappearing, taking with it the traditions that have enabled these tribes to live in harmony with nature for centuries.
Illegal gold mining, particularly on Yanomami lands, is one of the most significant threats. Thousands of miners invade these territories, destroying forests and poisoning rivers with mercury, which has led to the mass die-off of fish — a primary source of protein for the tribes. Mercury poisoning poses serious health risks, and rivers, once a lifeline, now carry lethal dangers. Similarly, deforestation to make way for soybean plantations and cattle ranching deprives the tribes of their traditional hunting and farming lands, turning diverse ecosystems into monocultures that offer no benefit to the local communities.
As their environment is destroyed, these tribes are forced to rely on alternative food sources, such as wild plants and small animals, which are insufficient to meet their nutritional needs. Traditional survival methods passed down through generations are becoming ineffective as the degradation of forests and rivers makes it impossible to continue their age-old agricultural and hunting practices.
The consequences of these actions go beyond hunger and malnutrition. The social and cultural fabric of these tribes is being torn apart. Losing the land that sustains their culture, indigenous communities find it increasingly difficult to preserve their identity. Marginalization and violence from miners and corporations are forcing many tribes to migrate to the edges of cities, where they become dependent on external food sources, losing their self-sufficiency.
Ultimately, corporate activities are not only destroying the Amazon rainforest but are also leading to the slow extinction of traditional communities for whom the forest was a source of life and identity.