The piangua is a type of small mollusk that grows on the roots of mangroves, because it has adapted to swamp ecosystems and muddy soils, from Baja California to northern Peru. Its distribution is closely related to red mangrove forests (Rhizophoraspp).
Its extraction has been a food and commercial activity of the inhabitants of the Colombian Pacific, where women are especially involved, who have adopted sustainable practices, with a view to achieving a balance in coastal ecosystems, ensuring tradition and the future for future generations.
Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS, an American NGO directed by Colombian Cristian Samper, reported that in the PescaVida project, information is generated to learn more about its ecology and biology through participatory monitoring of the DRMIs Isla Ají, Gulf of Tribugá-Cabo Corrientes and Charm of the Mangroves of Bajo Baudó.
Piangua is used to prepare typical dishes such as ceviches, tamales and stews, with which the ‘triple’ dish is also made with shrimp, empanadas stuffed with piangua, patacón, toyo and rice.
The preparation of the rice with piangua dish is simple. Heat the oil and when it is ready, add the onion along with the finely chopped pepper and chili, then add cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, the shells, and soy and mix. Add the previously cooked rice and stir. It is necessary to test the seasoning. The rice should be juicy. When serving, decorate with cilantro and a few slices of lemon.
This mollusk is very rich in mineral salts and iron, which allows high hemoglobin production and improves cell development. Like mussels, and mollusks in general, it has a good proportion of sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, zinc and magnesium.
“Piangua, like most mollusks, is an essential source of proteins of high biological value and low fat content. The presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in it prevents the appearance of cardiovascular diseases,” says Marine Biologist, Carlos Lucero.
The piangua has sexual reproduction with external fertilization. When they are mature, the male of each species expels his sperm into the water and the females expel their eggs. They are fertilized in the water and form an egg that later becomes a larva.
Another project on piangua is called Pescado Bien Pescado, which benefits 50 families, especially from the Litoral de San Juan, an initiative supported by the Afro Cultural Assets Foundation (ACUA), the Swiss Embassy in Colombia—Humanitarian Aid and Development, SDC— , and the Takami Group, for rescuing an ancient culture with this practice.
Towns such as Pichimá, Charambirá and Docordó located along this Pacific coast of Chocó see the rush of women who dedicate themselves to this activity.
Its capture has some restrictions to which the community has agreed not to capture it, sell it, or consume it with sizes smaller than 5 centimeters. Local residents seek protection by limiting areas of temporary non-use, which is why they established rotating extraction.
The ‘Pescado Bien Pescado’ project includes four main axes: good mangrove protection practices, environmental sustainability, recovery of cultivation terraces and associativity and accounting. The Pescado Bien Pescado project preserves ancestral traditions that allow women and their families to not only improve their cuisine, but also improve the quality of life of others through the delight of a traditional menu from the Colombian Pacific coast.
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