The most surprising was a dish made from fermented cassava leaves. The locals roast them, splash in coconut vinegar, then toss in a handful of wild pepper leaves. The smell is like a fresh forest, the flavor sour‑sweet and the crunch oddly like a fresh apple. It’s not on any tourist menu, but the antioxidants in those leaves are a real immunity boost.

You’re in for a wild mix. I once paired a splash of fermented cassava leaf juice with a swirl of local bamboo tea—both are high in polyphenols, so the combo feels like a double‑espresso of antioxidants. The bamboo tea has a mild earthy note that tames the sharpness of the leaves, while the leaves give the bamboo tea a bright kick. My patients swear they feel like a freshly pressed smoothie that’s actually doing something for their immune system. It’s a hit, and it’s nowhere on a tourist guide—just a secret that keeps the locals coming back.