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Nederlands Launching 2027 · World First
The Doncella
The most prized freshwater fish of the Peruvian Amazon, never exported, until now.
The Species
A legend of the Amazon, raised at origin
Pseudoplatystoma punctifer · known as surubim and pintado in Brazil
The most prized freshwater catfish in South America, and the jewel of the Peruvian Amazon. The doncella is a long, sleek river fish marked with the dark bands of the tiger catfishes, known to science as Pseudoplatystoma punctifer, called doncella in Peru and surubim or pintado in Brazil. By any of its names, it stands among the great freshwater fish of the continent.
It belongs to the great rivers of the Amazon basin, the slow brown channels and flooded forests where the Andes give way to the lowland jungle. For the river communities that have fished it for generations, it has never been an ordinary catch. It is the fish kept for the finest tables, a name that carries weight in Iquitos and Pucallpa the way a prized cut does in a European market.
White, delicate, boneless flesh of rare refinement, with an elegance on the plate that has made it legendary among those who know it. The meat is fine and clean, mild and faintly sweet, firm enough to handle yet tender on the tongue, and completely free of bones once filleted. Where the paiche is firm and bold, the doncella is quiet and refined, a fish of finesse rather than force.
The doncella has never been exported. Ours will be the first compliant international supply, launching in 2027. Like our paiche, it is born and raised on our farm in the Ucayali region, never taken from the wild, fully traceable, and raised without antibiotics or hormones, so the wild population is left untouched.
Doncella, Peruvian Amazon
On the plate
From ceviche to gentle heat
The doncella rewards a light hand. Its delicacy makes it exceptional raw, cured briefly in leche de tigre for ceviche and tiradito, or sliced thin for tartare and crudo where its clean, mild flavor carries the plate. In the Amazon it is wrapped in bijao leaves and steamed, poached, or lightly smoked, methods that protect the fish rather than overpower it.
Under gentle heat it stays tender and moist, taking a soft sear, a poach, or a careful grill without drying or breaking apart. Its fine white flesh and boneless fillet give chefs a clean, elegant canvas, the kind of fish you build a tasting menu around rather than hide under a sauce.
Specifications
What to expect in 2027
Indicative details for the 2027 launch. Final formats are confirmed closer to availability.
| Species | Pseudoplatystoma punctifer (doncella). |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ucayali Region, Peruvian Amazon, single farm, single source. |
| Flesh | White, delicate, fine-grained, boneless. |
| Planned Formats | Skinless boneless fillets and portions, IQF frozen, vacuum-packed. |
| Whole Fish | Expected 6.6 to 11 lb (3 to 5 kg) per fish, confirmed closer to launch. |
| Fillet Size | Expected 1.5 to 2.6 lb (0.7 to 1.2 kg) per fillet, skinless and boneless. |
| Portions | Cut to order, from 4.5 oz (125 g) to 9 oz (250 g), adaptable on request. |
| Master Carton | Approx. 22 lb (10 kg) per master carton. |
| Shelf Life | 24 months frozen at 0°F (−18°C). |
| Allergens | Fish. Nothing else is added to the product. |
| Best For | Ceviche, tiradito, tartare, gentle poaching, refined tasting menus. |
| Availability | From 2027. Waitlist open now. |
| Status | In development, registering professional interest. |
Why It Matters
The first of its kind
Never exported before
The doncella has never had a compliant international supply chain. Ours will be the first.
Delicate, boneless white flesh
Fine-grained, mild and refined, a rare elegance on the plate, free of intramuscular bones.
Raised, never wild-caught
Born and raised on our farm in Ucayali, fully traceable, with zero pressure on wild stocks.
White fish comparison
How doncella compares
A clear look at how our two Amazonian river fish sit beside the fine dining standards, on flavor, texture, mercury, sourcing and price.
Peruvian and Brazilian heritage
Paiche, or pirarucu, and doncella carry an Amazonian lineage no other fish on this list can claim, prized across Peru and Brazil for generations, from ceviche and tiradito to moqueca.
Met Not met Each column is scored to three.
| The fish | Heritage and the plate | Boneless | Year round | Low mercury | Traceable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paiche
Arapaima gigas
Lean
|
Peru and Brazil, also pirarucu Ceviche, hard sear, moqueca | ||||
|
Doncella
Pseudoplatystoma punctifer
Lean
|
Peruvian Amazon Tiradito, grill. Finer than paiche. From 2027. | ||||
| Chilean sea bass Patagonian toothfish Fatty | Southern Ocean Sear, miso glaze | ||||
| Halibut Pacific halibut Lean | North Pacific Roast, poach | ||||
| Dover sole Solea solea Lean | European waters Meuniere |
For the buyer
Both reserve fish are farmed at origin under SANIPES and HACCP, cut to boneless portions on your spec, fully traceable lot by lot, and available year round. Doncella reaches market from 2027.
Paiche mercury is lab tested below 0.05 mg/kg, well under the FDA limit of 1.0 ppm. Doncella is pre launch, so its value is the expected figure for the farmed product. Data for the other fish is drawn from public sources and can vary by origin and lot.
At the pass
Earning its place at the pass
From Amazonian kitchens to the fine dining table
Among the chefs who have cooked it, the doncella has a quiet following. It is the fish they reach for when the dish has to be elegant, when the flavor has to stay clean, and when the texture has to be flawless from the first bite.
In Peru
Peruvian cooks treat it as a delicacy, curing it in leche de tigre for the finest ceviche and tiradito, or steaming it gently in bijao leaves so the flesh stays silken. It has always been a fish for special tables, not everyday ones.
In Brazil
As surubim or pintado it anchors refined Amazonian cooking, poached, grilled with restraint, or served in a delicate moqueca where its mild flesh takes the broth without losing itself.
In fine dining
For the modern kitchen the appeal is obvious. A boneless, fine white fillet that slices cleanly for crudo, takes a whisper of heat, and plates with quiet elegance. The chefs who try it tend to keep it on the menu.
In the Kitchen
Built for refined menus
Delicate and versatile, the doncella shines from raw preparations to gentle heat: ceviche, tartare, pan-searing, poaching, light smoking, and careful grilling.
Ceviche
Tartare
Pan-Searing
Poaching
Smoking
Grilling
2027 Waitlist
Be first to serve the doncella
We are registering professional buyers, chefs, distributors, and foodservice, for the 2027 launch. Join the waitlist and we will keep you informed as availability approaches.
Join the 2027 waitlist →For Professional Buyers
Exported to the world's finest kitchens
Amazonian Reserve supplies professional kitchens across South America, the United States, Canada, and Europe. Share your region with us and we will direct you to the appropriate sourcing channel.
Contact Us
Bring the Amazon to your kitchen
Discover paiche in your own kitchen. Send us a few details and we will arrange a sample or tasting, with a response within one business day.
info@amazonianreserve.com