(S)he who eats [the fish] jaraqui won't ever leave here
or so the saying goes to those who eat this Amazonian River freshwater fish - he or she will never (want) to leave the region.
But I don't believe this saying only refers to eating the fish. People used to jokingly make this comment to me when they found out I was dating a guy from Manaus, Amazonas. The word "comer", or eat, also refers to sex; therefore, they were implying that my being in a relationship with a guy from the Amazon would mean that I'd never leave. I'd be hooked. Although I did end up leaving Manaus, I can't wait to go back whether it's for vacation or to eventually live there.
And we're still together, so maybe there is some truth in it.
Jaraqui is a fish native to the Amazon River. According to an urban type dictionary, jaraqui is "a tasty fish of the Amazon, it popular, cheap, and abundant". Food is very important to people in Brazil, and fish in particular to the people in the northern region of Brazil. I know for a fact that E misses his cuisine immensely. He drools when he watches TV programs about the Amazon, especially if it's about food and/or fish. When people talk about the local foods that he can't get here he makes comments about how much he misses them all and will eat like a starving man when he returns to Manaus.
Even though I'm not too much of a fish "fan", I do miss food from Manaus like açaí, tapioca, other tropical fruits like cacau and cupuaçu, tacaca, and more. I really can't wait to go back to Manaus for vacation - to walk the streets downtown, hang out with family and friends at restaurants and their homes, drink a beer at O Largo de São Sebastião in front of the Teatro Amazonas, take a walk down to the Porto and stroll along the river on Ponta Negra at night.
Com saudade,
Meredith
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