Iquitos’ Belen Market
Accessible only by boat or plane, Iquitos lies at the intersection of three great rivers, the Amazon, Nanay and Itaya. No place generates more energy in this city than the Belen Market, a brilliant show of colorful produce and ingredients from the explosively fertile Amazon basin. The flavors are intense and fresh, eaten the same day they’re harvested. Food from this part of the world is also some of the healthiest you’ll ever find… nothing is processed and everything is a super food. I was lucky enough to get a grand tour from my pal, renowned chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, who’s been coming here for decades to source hard-to-find ingredients for his restaurants in Lima.