Belém has one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in Brazil, built on Amazonian ingredients that rarely appear elsewhere. Açaí is the staple — eaten savory with fish, not sweet with granola. Tacacá is a hot soup served in a gourd: shrimp, jambu leaves (which cause a curious tingling numbness in the mouth), tucupi broth, and jambú. Maniçoba is a slow-cooked stew of manioc leaves with pork, taking up to a week to prepare safely. Pato no tucupi is duck braised in the same yellow tucupi sauce. None of these dishes have meaningful equivalents elsewhere.
The Ver-o-Peso market area has the most concentrated eating options, from stalls serving açaí at dawn to sit-down restaurants with full Amazonian menus. Estação das Docas has a more upscale selection at higher prices. The Nazaré neighborhood around the basilica has local restaurants frequented by students from the nearby university.