Name: Caldo de Yuca Brava (Uzai): Amazonian Cassava Broth with Fish
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1 litre commercial fully cooked tucupi or cassava broth, labelled ready to heat or eat and sold for human consumption; 400 g fresh boneless mild freshwater white fish, cut into 3 cm pieces; 8 g fresh green ají or green chile, thinly sliced; 16 g food-grade tapioca (cassava) starch; 45 ml cold water; 0–3 g fine salt, to taste and according to the product label; Ready-to-eat casabe, as desired

A wide riverside table scene with Amazonian cassava-fish soup and casabe.

Region Amazonas, Colombian Amazon; documented in Indigenous traditional kitchens of southern Amazonas

Category Cassava broth with fish and green ají

Prep time 15 minutes active

Cook time 30 minutes

Passive time 0 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Caldo de Yuca Brava (Uzai): Amazonian Cassava Broth with Fish

A traditional Amazonas broth adapted for home cooking with fully cooked, ready-to-use tucupi

Caldo de yuca brava, known as Uzai in the documented recipe, is an Amazonian broth built around cassava juice and starch, small stream fish, green ají and salt. Colombian Ministry of Culture materials record the dish among the Indigenous traditional kitchens of southern Amazonas and describe several communities who carry related food knowledge. The name Uzai is associated with Muina-Murui usage in the recipe source; other records use a Bora-language name, so it is not a single universal label.

This home recipe keeps the documented ingredient pattern but makes one essential safety adaptation: it uses only commercial, fully cooked tucupi or cassava broth explicitly sold for human consumption and ready to heat. It does not explain how to extract, ferment or detoxify bitter cassava. Raw bitter-cassava juice can contain cyanogenic compounds that release toxic hydrogen cyanide, and simple home boiling is not a reliable substitute for the full processing knowledge and controls. If you cannot find a cooked food-grade product and confirm its label instructions, do not make this version.

The original community recipe is not standardized around exact household measurements. These measured quantities are a practical four-serving interpretation, not a definitive Indigenous formula. Serve the broth hot, optionally with ready-to-eat casabe.

Ingredients

Broth and fish

1 litre commercial fully cooked tucupi or cassava broth, labelled ready to heat or eat and sold for human consumption
400 g fresh boneless mild freshwater white fish, cut into 3 cm pieces
8 g fresh green ají or green chile, thinly sliced
16 g food-grade tapioca (cassava) starch
45 ml cold water
0–3 g fine salt, to taste and according to the product label

To serve (optional)

Ready-to-eat casabe, as desired

Method

Check the tucupi and prepare the ingredients Use only a cooked, ready-to-use tucupi product clearly sold for human consumption. Do not use raw bitter-cassava juice or homemade juice. Keep the package refrigerated as its label directs. Rinse and slice the green ají. Cut the fish on a separate clean board and keep it away from ready-to-eat foods.
Bring the tucupi to a boil Pour the tucupi into a heavy saucepan. Set it over medium-high heat and bring it to a full boil, following any longer heating directions on the package.
Cook the fish and ají Add the green ají and fish pieces. Return the broth to a gentle simmer and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, about 6–10 minutes depending on piece size. Check the thickest piece with a clean instant-read thermometer; it should reach 63°C.
Make the starch slurry While the fish cooks, stir the tapioca starch with 45 ml cold water in a small bowl until smooth. If the mixture settles, stir it again just before adding it.
Thicken the broth gently Lower the heat. Stir the slurry and slowly pour it into the simmering broth while stirring gently. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the broth thickens lightly and the starch is fully cooked.
Season to taste Taste carefully and add salt only if needed; tucupi products differ in saltiness. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer until hot throughout, then remove it from the heat.
Serve and store safely Serve hot in bowls, optionally with ready-to-eat casabe. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at or below 4°C. Use within 1–2 days and reheat once to 74°C throughout.

Practical guidance

Practical

Practical guidance

Buy the cassava broth ready to use. Bitter cassava has naturally occurring cyanogenic compounds. Traditional processing combines multiple steps and community knowledge; raw juice must never be treated as ready-to-cook broth. This recipe requires a commercial product that is fully cooked and clearly sold for human consumption. Follow its label. Do not use raw juice, homemade extracts, animal-feed products or a bottle whose food-ready status is unclear. Keep the cultural context precise. Ministry of Culture sources document Uzai within the diverse Indigenous kitchens of southern Amazonas. The recipe publication associates the name with Muina-Murui usage, while other records use Bora pɨɨMɨhtso. The ingredient pattern and names vary across peoples; this household version does not claim to be the only or definitive community recipe. It also does not present Uzai as medical treatment, even though sources mention its importance in postpartum foodways. Choose and cook the fish carefully. Use fresh fish kept chilled, or thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator. A mild, boneless freshwater white fish is a practical home substitute for small stream fish. Keep raw fish, its packaging and its juices away from cooked foods. Cook the thickest piece to 63°C, or until opaque and easily separated with a fork. Add salt after tasting. Tucupi brands can vary in salt content and intensity. The listed salt is a maximum guide, not a target. Taste the hot broth before seasoning, and rely on the package nutrition label when estimating sodium. Thicken with a smooth slurry. Tapioca starch clumps if it meets hot liquid dry. Mix it with cold water first, stir immediately before pouring, then simmer briefly so the starch cooks through. The broth should lightly coat a spoon rather than turn into a paste. Serve with a prepared cassava accompaniment. Casabe is an optional traditional accompaniment noted in regional records. Use only commercially prepared ready-to-eat casabe; this recipe is not an instruction for processing bitter cassava. Cool leftovers promptly. Transfer leftover broth to a shallow covered container and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4°C. Use within 1–2 days and reheat once to 74°C throughout. Discard broth left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Final notes

Allergens: Contains fish. Check the tucupi package for other declared allergens and cross-contact information. Food safety: Use only fully cooked, ready-to-use tucupi sold for human consumption; never substitute raw bitter-cassava juice. Cook fish to 63°C. Chill leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C and reheat once to 74°C.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: One quarter of the broth and fish
Calories: About 120 kcal
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 2 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: About 550 mg

Caldo de Yuca Brava (Uzai): Amazonian Cassava Broth with Fish

Ingredients

Broth and fish

To serve (optional)

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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