Feast of St. John in Iquitos, Peru

The festivities in honor of Saint John the Baptist take place every year on June 24th. The biggest festival in the Peruvian Amazon has some different characteristics, depending on the city where it is held. In Iquitos, for example, the festivities last almost a month. In general, the event begins on the night of June 23, where the custom is to take a purification bath in a river, following the tradition of this saint.

The custom was introduced in Peru by the Spanish, and especially in the Amazon region it gained great importance and popular support. The great reverence for the saint who came to prepare the world for the arrival of Jesus Christ is an object of faith and great devotion on the part of the inhabitants of this region of the country.

Juane is one of the main dishes of the cuisine of the Peruvian jungle and is widely consumed on June 24, the feast of St. John the Baptist (San Juan), hence the name. The juane would have been a food usually made for travelers, as they could be stored for long periods without spoiling. Picture a steamed leaf parcel that contains a mixture of rice, chicken, egg, and olives. The dish is named Juane because it is eaten on the feast of St. John the Baptist and it is meant to resemble his head served on a platter…