Name: Perico de Anacuma: Colombian Scrambled Eggs with Tender Shoots
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 8 large eggs, about 400 g without shells, beaten; 200 g food-grade prepared anacuma/iraca shoots, drained if packed and thinly sliced; 50 g pork lard; 80 g long green onion (scallion), thinly sliced; 250 g ripe tomato, diced; 2 g fine salt

Soft scrambled eggs with tomato, scallion and sliced anacuma shoots in a rustic clay dish.

Region Santander, Colombia; associated with Barichara

Dish Eggs gently stewed with anacuma shoots, tomato, scallion and pork lard

Yield 4 servings

Active time 15 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Perico de Anacuma: Colombian Scrambled Eggs with Tender Shoots

A Santander-style skillet of soft eggs, tomato, scallion and tender anacuma shoots, gently cooked in pork lard.

Perico de anacuma is a straightforward egg dish associated with Santander. Its defining combination is beaten eggs, tender anacuma shoots, pork lard, long onion, tomato and salt. This measured four-serving version makes the brief ingredient list workable at home while allowing for local variation.

The tender shoot is also called iraca in some Colombian settings, and names can vary by region. That context is not a way to identify a plant in the wild: buy only correctly identified shoots sold as food by a reliable supplier, then follow its preparation directions. If they are unavailable, commercially packed hearts of palm are a different substitute.

The cooking is deliberately gentle. First let scallion soften in lard, then cook the tomato until it loses its raw edge and excess liquid. Heat the prepared shoots in that base before adding the eggs; slow folding keeps the curds tender while still allowing the mixture to reach a safe temperature. Eat it as soon as it leaves the pan, when the eggs are soft and the tomato has lightly coated the shoots.

Ingredients

Measured ingredients

8 large eggs, about 400 g without shells, beaten
200 g food-grade prepared anacuma/iraca shoots, drained if packed and thinly sliced
50 g pork lard
80 g long green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
250 g ripe tomato, diced
2 g fine salt

Method

Prepare the shoots and eggs Use only shoots sold as food and correctly identified by a reliable supplier; never gather an unknown plant. Follow the package or seller's preparation instructions, drain the prepared shoots if needed, and slice them thinly. Keep the eggs refrigerated until the vegetables are ready, then beat them just until the whites and yolks are combined.
Soften the scallion Set a medium skillet over medium-low heat and melt the pork lard. Add the sliced scallion and stir until glossy and soft, without letting it brown. A gentle start keeps the onion sweet and gives the eggs a mellow, savoury base.
Cook the tomato Stir in the diced tomato and cook, stirring now and then, until it collapses into the lard and the pan no longer looks watery. The mixture should remain moist rather than dry or browned; this helps it coat the shoots and eggs evenly.
Warm the anacuma Add the prepared, sliced shoots and turn them through the tomato mixture until hot. If using the hearts-of-palm substitute, drain it well and follow its label directions. Keep the pan at a gentle heat so the vegetables warm without scorching.
Fold in the eggs Season the beaten eggs with the salt and pour them into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Draw a spatula slowly across the pan, folding the setting egg through the tomato and shoots. Continue until no liquid egg remains and the thickest part reaches 71°C/160°F on a food thermometer; do not serve the eggs runny.
Serve while soft Take the skillet off the heat as soon as the eggs are set and safe. They should look moist and softly folded, not browned or dry. Divide between warm plates and serve immediately, on its own or with arepa or bread.

Practical guidance

Practical

Practical guidance

Anacuma is a plant name, not a safe foraging instruction. Do not use shoots picked from the wild or identified from a photograph. Choose a supplier that sells the shoots as food and follow its cleaning and cooking guidance; if that information is unavailable, choose another ingredient. Commercial hearts of palm are a practical substitute, but they change the dish and should not be called anacuma. This skillet tastes best freshly made. If there are leftovers, refrigerate them promptly in a shallow, covered container and use within 3 to 4 days; reheat until steaming hot throughout. Keep raw eggs and their utensils separate from cooked food, wash hands and surfaces after handling shells, and do not leave the finished eggs at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The recipe contains egg; the lard is pork-derived.

Final notes

Choose the shoot carefully: Use only a properly identified, food-grade anacuma product; the hearts-of-palm option is a substitute. Keep the curds tender: Cook gently, but verify 71°C/160°F and serve the eggs fully set.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 4 equal servings
Calories: 290 kcal
Carbohydrate: 7 g
Protein: 15 g
Fat: 22 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: 350 mg

Perico de Anacuma: Colombian Scrambled Eggs with Tender Shoots

Ingredients

Measured ingredients

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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