PeruNorth's musings on events & destinations in Northern Peru, Amazonia ... and beyond. Detailed tour reviews.
Juanes is a traditional dish widely consumed throughout the Peruvian Amazon, especially the High Amazon.
It is designed for travelling: pre-cooked food that is wrapped in a leaf, normally from the endemic Cachibou tree (Calathea lutea) - known locally as bijao - which acts as a picnic box for the contents. The leaf also infuses the food with a subtle, but distinctive flavour.
In 1997, the Peruvian Parliament approved a new Law of Protected Natural Areas in which Private Conservation Areas (Áreas de Conservación Privadas or ACPs) were given legal recognition.
PeruNorth recently had the chance to visit ACP #29 - Juningue, located near Moyobamba in the Department of San Martin. This 78-hectare parcel of land was granted its Private Conservation Area status, by the Ministry of the Environment, in February 2011. This status lasts for 10 years, and yet five years later, the owners - a group of nine siblings who had inherited the land - are still unsure exactly what to do with it.
