Ecuador: Amazonian Forest Foods and Culinary Arts

Introduction

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world with over 40,000 plant species and 2.5 million insect species! Also, there is said to be over 3,000 edible fruit species. Many indigenous communities have recipes for preparing fish, meat, beverages, fruits, and starches that were passed down through generations.

Live in an Indigenous Amazonian community and explore the exotic culinary practices of the Amazon through forest foods, ancestral recipes, and hands-on kitchen experience. Interns help gather ingredients in the chakra, prepare traditional meals, support community food events, or contribute to value-added products like teas, seasonings, or fermented drinks. This placement blends gastronomy, ecology, and culture in one of the world’s most biodiverse food systems.

This internship offers more than just a placement, it offers a way of life. You’ll live with a Kichwa host family in the buffer zone of the tropical Amazonian rainforest, where everyday life is closely tied to the chakra, a traditional forest-farm system that is deeply embedded in Kichwa culture. The chakra is the nucleus for maintaining and revitalizing ancestral knowledge, sustaining both people and the environment.

Daily Life

Internships begin with an orientation in the city of Tena. After, interns spend the first few weeks getting to know their host family and internship placements. Depending on the needs of the placement, potential internship activities include:

• Learn from local farmers and cooks about the intersection between ancestral farming/hunting/fishing practices and how they connect to modern cuisine and income-generation projects
• Identify edible and medicinal plants and understand their importance in traditional cooking and medicine
• Prepare traditional dishes with locals and experiment by adding different flavors and spices
• Contribute to work in the chakra (traditional agroforestry farm) by planting, weeding, and harvesting products
• Create and/or clear trails in medicinal plant gardens or chakras with locals
• Support eco-toursim projects and guide visitors as they learn about forest foods, traditional Amazonian dishes, and agroforestry systems
• Research local Amazonian products and national and international markets where they can be sold

You’ll be welcomed as a member of the family, contributing to daily household life—cooking, cleaning, tending the home garden, caring for children, or helping with repairs. Each intern is placed with a family or community project aligned with their chosen focus area (such as Amazonian Indigenous Plant Medicine, Forest Foods, Social Enterprise, Ecotourism, or Conservation). The experience blends immersion with impact: you’ll participate in ongoing community work and, if staying longer than one month, co-develop a project that you lead based on your skills, interests, and the needs of the community.

Regardless of your focus, all interns engage in core activities that are part of everyday life in these communities. These may include:

• Chakra & Forest Restoration

  • Planting, composting, soil improvement

  • Harvesting and plant care

  • Trail maintenance and plant inventories

  • Reforestation projects

• Raw Materials & Sustainable Livelihoods

  • Harvesting, preparing, and cooking food or medicines

  • Packaging and selling products for local markets or to bulk buyers

  • Supporting local cooperatives

  • Marketing and promotion through flyers, social media, or outreach

• Value-Added Product Development

  • Transforming raw crops into products like chocolate, teas, tinctures, or crafts

  • Fermenting, drying, grinding, and packaging

  • Analyzing product life cycles and contributing to market strategies

• Community, Eco, and Educational Tourism

  • Co-leading chakra tours and forest walks

  • Hosting farm-to-table meals and cooking classes

  • Supporting traditional ceremonies and storytelling events

  • Helping with visitor experiences, content creation, and logistics

In addition, you may support English teaching in the community or local schools. Amazon Learning will organize weekly excursions to nearby farms, healing centers, waterfalls, and cultural sites. Weekends are free for travel, rest, or exploring with fellow interns.

This is a truly immersive internship that invites you to live the values of reciprocity, sustainability, and intercultural exchange—learning through doing, connecting through presence, and contributing in meaningful, grounded ways.

Interns need to bring extra spending money for their transportation, meals not eaten with the family, and activities and travel outside of the program. The cost of living and transportation costs are explained in more detail in the intern manual provided to incoming participants to help them calculate how much extra money they should bring.

***NOTE: Specific projects change throughout the year depending on the needs of our partner organizations. The projects interns work on during their internships are based on the organization’s’ immediate needs and workflow.***

Travel & Accom.

The best airport to fly into is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. Interns need to arrive to Quito no later than the night before their orientation begins. Quito is only 4 hours from Tena, the main city in the Napo Province. On the morning of orientation, a staff member schedules a taxi to pick interns up and bring them to Tena for training; they just have to pay the driver upon arrival.

Interns stay in Tena during orientation, and the cost of the accommodation is provided. The rest of the program is spent living with a local host family. This is an amazing opportunity to immerse in the local community, learn about the culture, and practice Spanish. Host families provide 3 meals per day, bedding, and a place to do laundry.

Requirements

Interns are expected to finance their own travel costs (international and while in Ecuador).

Other requirements include:

• Minimum 4 weeks commitment, recommended 8-12 weeks (flexibility for a minimum of 2 weeks however this could affect the price)
• Academic and/or professional experience in the fields of culinary arts, agriculture, sustainable business, anthropology, sociology, biology, or a related field
• Full travel & medical insurance
• Necessary vaccinations
• Necessary visa costs

Costs

$750 USD for the 1st week, $550 USD* for each week thereafter.

* Currency conversions are approximate. Use xe.com for up to date currency conversion rates
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee
*** Places are confirmed with a 1 week deposit.

What’s Included:

• Accommodation during orientation
• Accommodation and 3 meals a day with a host family. Includes a private room, bathroom, all bedding, and place to do laundry
• Guided pre-departure preparation
• In-country orientation that addresses risk management, culture shock, cross-cultural adaptation skills, history/culture/politics of Ecuador and the Amazon, team-building, goal-setting, and more
• 1:1 check-ins every 2 weeks
• 24/7 emergency support
• Network of doctors, therapists, Spanish tutors in-country
• Access to network of experts and information databases for research support
• Exit interview and end-of-program reflection
• Alumni group and future references

What’s not included:

• Costs of flights and visa
• Costs of vaccinations
• $15 per day for food during orientation training
• Personal transportation
• Any other activities outside of scheduled program activities (white water rafting, yoga, workshops, guided jungle hikes, etc.)

Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators. We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.