WHAT TO EAT IN ECUADOR?

When you think of Ecuador, you think about the Galapagos Islands, giant turtles, sea lions, white sandy beaches and volcanos, however the second-highest capital in the world has exquisite cuisine that will help immerse you in local Ecuadorian culture. To help you discover the country’s cuisine, here is a guide about what to eat on your trip to Ecuador. 

 

Fried Pork

 

Llapingachos

Ecuador is famous for its potatoes, so it’s no surprise that this ingredient shows up in the top two dishes to try in Ecuador. Another potato-based dish found in the country is called llapingachos. They are small patties made of potatoes and cheese. Llapingachos may not look very appetizing but the taste is one of the best in the country. These small potato patties come with a variety of seasonings and are usually either served as a side dish or as a snack at street food stalls. 

 

Llapingachos

 

Locro de Papa

Locro de papa is a soup made of potatoes and cheese, to warm the cockles during those cold evenings in Quito. Most of the time, it comes with avocado and maybe egg, although the exact preparation varies from one city and even from one restaurant to another. Cilantro is a common ingredient, too. Sometimes, the soup is already assembled. At other times, you will receive a plate of garnishes and get to decide yourself what you want to add. Most of the time, the soup is vegetarian, but it might also come with pieces of meat. Ask before if you’re vegetarian. A great place to try locro de papa is at the Central market in Quito. It is not advertised on any menus, but if you ask around the food stalls, everyone can serve it to you.

 

Locro de papa

Cevichochos

 

Talking about street food. Cevichochos is a popular dish in the Andes that I found at a street food stand in Quito. The main ingredient are chochos, white beans, native to the Andes. Just like in ceviche, the beans are usually marinated in lime juice and served with onion and tomato. Besides that, they are served with corn and banana chips and various other possible ingredients that are optional, like cilantro, for a delicious combination of flavors.

 

Cevichochos

Encebollado

On the coastal region, where fish is part of many dishes, encebollado is a typical dish that you can find at many restaurants. This fish stew is often made from albacore tuna but depending on what is available, people use all kinds of fish. You can have it for lunch and dinner, or, if you feel hungover, even for breakfast. It is supposed to magically cure all hangovers. The soup includes onions and fresh tomatoes, and often fresh herbs like coriander. Depending on where you are, you can order it with various sides such as plantains or bread.

 

Encebollado

Trucha

Trucha (Spanish for trout) is the most commonly eaten fish in the Andes. Trucha is usually eaten fried and served with rice, french fries, fried yuca or other vegetables. This  Andean speciality and can be found mainly in the highlands of Ecuador as well as the Amazon, where it is served in a banana leaf. 

 

Trucha

 

Bolon

Bolones can be found all over Ecuador and are the perfect snack to eat on a long bus ride. Bolones de verde are made from green plantains but there are also varieties made with mashed potatoes. The plantains are cooked, mashed and turned into balls, then fried. You can find the bolones with a variety of fillings, ranging from cheese to fried meat. They also have different sizes, from a ping pong ball to a grapefruit.

 

Bolon

 

Ceviche

Everyone knows that ceviche is Peru’s national dish, but ceviche exists in many countries along South America’s Pacific Coast, including Ecuador. And eating ceviche in Ecuador is different from eating it in Peru. Both countries use similar kinds of seafood, such as shrimp and both countries use the same kind of lime to marinate the seafood with red onion. But in Ecuador, people often serve ceviche with the juice that it was cooked in, which makes for more of a brothy dish than in Peru. And, unlike in Peru, people do not add chillies directly into the sauce. Instead, they serve hot sauce on the side so you can decide yourself which level of spiciness you prefer. Some people also add ketchup or mustard to their ceviche. 

 

Shrimp Ceviche

Maduros

Another typical plantain dish in Ecuador, are maduros. Look around the street food carts and you might see people offering what looks like grilled bananas. Don’t be fooled, those are not the bananas you know from home. Instead, they are plantains and there are multiple ways of serving them, all of which involve cheese. Some vendors might slice them open and fill them with cheese. Others sprinkle cheese on top and some just serve it on top of a slice of cheese. Whatever you end up with, it’s going to be delicious.

 

Maduros

 

Canelazo

 

Canelazo is perhaps Ecuador’s most famous drink, mainly because it is easily available in Quito and because it contains alcohol. The alcohol comes from aguardiente, a sugar cane alcohol that you can find in Ecuador. But the typical taste comes from boiling water with cinnamon and sugar, and the alcohol isn’t added until the end.

 

Canelazo

 

Colada Morada

Locals traditionally drink colada morada this for the Day of the Dead in November, but you can manage to find it all over Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands. Purple cornflour forms the base of this drink and gives it its great color. A similar drink can be found in Bolivia called api. Besides corn flour, the drink contains all kinds of berries and spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and anis. The best way to enjoy colada morada is while it’s still hot. Drink it with a side of empanadas or bread.

Colada Morada