Photo taken from http://www.slshrimp.com/Projects/Rhyncho.html

This is el “suri”, the grub of a palm beettle (Rynchophorus palmarum). This fatty grub is sauted or fried and prepared in various dishes shown below. According to ethnobotanist James A. Duke, approximately 62 percent of the suri grub is protein. Insect fatty acids are highly unsaturated. Also suri are rich in thiamin, zinc, riboflavin, copper, iron, and niacin.

Juane is a regional dish that is prepared using the leaf of the bijao plant. The leaves are stuffed with rice, spices, usually chicken, egg and an olive. Iquiteños consume enormous quantities of this delicacy during the San Juan festival, along with tacacho, or mashed sweet platains, and cañazo, liquor made from sugar cane.

Juane de yucca relleno de suri

This juane is prepared with a puree of yucca and suri.

And this is me eating suri! The heads are crunchy but otherwise it was delish!

Caldo de suri con yucca, papa y platano – This is a soup prepared with suri, yucca, potato and sweet platain.

Cebiche de platano – Local fish marinated in lime juice with diced onion, sweet platain, aji (local chile) served with yucca. Delish! It won 1st place in the food contest.

The following blog has some good information on ´suri´: http://singingtotheplants.blogspot.com/2007/12/suri.html