Characteristic products
Although varied, Ecuadorian cuisine recurrently uses a few basic ingredients such as rice, potato and corn, without forgetting other starchy foods such as manioc, dried beans as well as a host of various and varied vegetables. The potato was domesticated nearly 10,000 years ago around Lake Titicaca and then its cultivation was gradually extended to the rest of the Andes. Corn, domesticated in Mexico, reached Ecuador through trade.
Ecuadorian cuisine is generally not very spicy, but ají - a sauce made from fresh red chillies, onions and coriander - is very popular and accompanies many dishes. Cumin is also widely used, as is achiote or roucou, a blood-red spice with an aftertaste of nutmeg.
The banana was long considered the green gold of this country, which is the5th largest producer in the world. The banana plantations stretch endlessly in the Machala region, nicknamed the banana capital of the world. The most common varieties are the plátano (plantain banana), the guineo (banana) and theorito
(dwarf banana delicately sweetened, the size of a finger). Ecuador is also one of the world's leading producers of cocoa.Thanks to its various microclimates, one can find exotic fruits such as pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, coconut or passion fruit (maracuya), as well as temperate climate fruits (apple, strawberry, pear, blackberry, grape). Not forgetting more unusual local species such as the tamarillo orárbol tomato, with a tomato aftertaste, the cherimoya (chirimoya)
with a very sweet white pulp or the babaco, a cousin of the papaya with a delicate pineapple flavour.Meat is widely consumed and pork, chicken, beef and goat are the most common meat products. The country also has a vast coastline full of fish. Tuna, red mullet, grouper, sardines, sea bass, snapper, as well as various shellfish such as oysters and other seafood such as squid, crabs, lobsters, octopus and so on. Ecuador is one of the largest producers of farmed shrimp in the world.
Ecuadorian gastronomy is not only very nutritious, but also diverse from one region to another. The cuisine of the Sierra - deeply rooted in pre-Hispanic traditions - is the most hearty in the country. This Andean cuisine features potatoes and rice, as well as corn, wheat and quinoa. There are many recipes for soups, either light (sopa, caldo
) or thick (locro, chupe) and often prepared with milk, potatoes, cheese, quinoa or vegetables (avocado, peas, tomatoes). Trout are also caught in the lakes and rivers of the Andes. The Amazon has original culinary specialties such as jabalí (wild boar), mono (monkey), and even serpiente (snake) for the more adventurous, although it is always better to be careful about the origin of this bush meat, as some of the species hunted are sometimes endangered. Here the potato is replaced by manioc(yuca). In the numerous rivers, one will taste a multitude of fish, like the catfish or even the piranha. On the Pacific coast, the diversity of seafood products seems endless. You can find them frito (fried), empanado (breaded) or a la plancha (grilled). Here, bananas are omnipresent and cooked in all forms.Classics of Ecuadorian cuisine
While some dishes are found throughout the country, many Ecuadorian specialties come from the Sierra region. One such dish ishornado de cuero, a stewed pork with a crispy skin, served with corn and an onion sauce. The fritada de chancho is pork that - despite its name - is not fried but simmered with orange juice and onions. It is accompanied by banana, corn puree and manioc. The best fritadas are found in the Calderón area, north of Quito. A speciality of Ambato, spread throughout the Sierra, llapingachos are cheesy potato croquettes that are usually served with hornado
or fried eggs.The term seco translates to stew as with seco de chivo (goat meat, corn, rice and tomatoes). There are also beef (res) and chicken (pollo/gallina) secos. Fanesca is a typical dish eaten during Holy Week in the Sierra and the rest of the country. This very thick soup contains a multitude of ingredients (more than 12 on average) including cod, sambo squash, peas, shelled corn, dried beans, cabbage, peanuts, garlic, rice, onions, milk, fresh cheese and chilli. Sancocho
is a pork stew, similar to a soup, very common in Ecuador, garnished with corn, green banana, cassava, onions and aromatic herbs.Soups are indeed popular in the country. One example is the caldo de gallina, a rich chicken soup with potatoes, sweet potato, cassava, rice, onions and coriander. The locro de papas will please vegetarians and is made of potatoes, avocado and cheese. More confusing, thelocro de cuero is a pork rind and potato soup. Finally, the yaguarlocro
is a spicy tripe soup served with avocado.Thearroz con pollo is a rice dish served with pieces of fried chicken. There are variations with fish (pescado), shrimp (camarones) and shellfish (conchas). It is a very popular dish in South America. As are empanadas, fried turnovers filled with cheese or meat. Try the empanada de morocho, filled with morocho
(cracked white corn), minced pork and small vegetables. Tourists in search of exoticism will try the cuy or guinea pig. The whole animal is grilled on a spit, served with its offal and accompanied by potatoes and corn. Its consumption is an ancestral culinary tradition and it is very appreciated especially by the indigenous communities, in particular on the occasion of great events.On the Pacific coast, there are many seafood specialties such asencebollado, a stew of fish (tuna), manioc, tomato and coriander with a good amount of red onion. Ceviche is another typical dish of the coast. Unlike the Peruvian version made with raw fish, Ecuadorian ceviche is like a cold soup made with tomatoes, peppers, onions and fresh lemon, topped with cooked shrimp, fish, oysters or calamari. It is accompanied by chifles (grilled banana chips) or choclo tostado (the local popcorn).Encocado is an African-influenced dish that consists of either fish or shrimp cooked in a rich, spicy coconut milk sauce. While the Brazilian churrasco
is often known as a gargantuan barbecue, in Ecuador it is actually a piece of grilled beef with a fried egg, avocado, tomato, lettuce, onions, rice and cassava chips. In the Amazon, there are many grilled dishes such asayampaco, a recipe for fish cooked over a wood fire, stewed in a banana leaf. The latter are used to cook empanadas or humitas (cornmeal pies stewed and stuffed with eggs, cheese and butter). Patacones, crushed and fried green plantains, accompany all the main dishes. Salprieta is a condiment made from corn and roasted peanuts, ground to a powder and mixed with coriander, oregano and salt, which is sprinkled on bananas. Unless you prefer bolón de verde, a plantain fritter with cheese.Desserts and drinks
Ecuadorian desserts are not very varied, but there are the inevitable egg custards, flavoured with vanilla, coconut or pineapple. Theespumilla is a mousse made of meringue and guava pulp. Dulce de zapallo is a preparation of candied squash served with fresh cheese. Biscochos de Cayambe are crunchy finger biscuits. Finally? cocadas esmeraldeñas
are sweets made with coconut and caramelized sugar.The colada morada is a traditional drink prepared for All Saints' Day, made of red fruit juice thickened with purple cornstarch and flavoured with various spices. It is usually served with a t'anta wawa or guagua de pan, which are baby-shaped rolls, finely decorated and filled with sweet fillings (jam, Nutella, etc.). Morocho is a very thick drink made from sweetened milk and morocho (cracked white corn) topped with raisins and cinnamon. Gourmets will enjoy batidos
, a kind of fruit milkshake (blackberry, banana, coconut, etc.).If Ecuador exports a significant amount of coffee, aficionados of good espressos may be disappointed, as many hot drinks are based on instant coffee powder. Otherwise, make up for it with a good hot chocolate. Locals drink a lot of sodas and you can try fioravanti, a very popular pink strawberry lemonade. Although of course nothing beats a good fruit juice (jugo or licuado de fruta). If you find the classics (pineapple, passion fruit, etc.), try the juice of naranjilla
, a local fruit similar to an orange, but with a tangy tomato aftertaste.As for alcohol, the most popular beers (cervezas) are the Czech Pilsener, in half-litre bottles, and the Club, in 330 ml cans, brewed in Ecuador. There are also imported beers from Europe, Mexico and Brazil. The national alcohol is firewater (aguardiente), made from sugar cane. It is often referred to as "trago". While it is extremely strong on its own, when mixed with naranjilla juice and cinnamon, it makes a delicious canelazo
that can be drunk hot on cool Sierra evenings. The local rum(ron), served dry or in cocktails, is inexpensive but of fairly average quality. It is omnipresent in the Ecuadorian festivals(pachanga), often added of Coca-Cola and pieces of lime to give the famous free cuba. Foreign rums, especially from the Caribbean, are more popular. Chicha is made by fermenting corn for varying lengths of time to produce a more or less full-bodied drink. In the Amazon jungle, the natives produce a more unexpected chicha by chewing cassava for a long time and spitting it into a container where the chicha will ferment under the action of the enzymes of the saliva. This drink is usually offered to foreigners as a welcome gift and it is very bad form to refuse it.
