Ecuador Food & Delicacies: Top 7 Ecuadorian Food Dishes
Ecuadorian Food is known for its versatile culinary pattern that differs from highlands to the coastal regions. From dishes prepared with potatoes, beans, herbs in the sierra cities to seafood and spices with coconut milk near coastal areas, you will soon find that major restaurants and hotels have lots to offer. Just like most countries, people here too have 3 meals a day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Blending most of thir dishes with Latin spices, you’ll fall in love with the country’s specialities.
So, visiting Ecuador soon? Take a look at some of these Ecuadorian Food Dishes that you cannot miss to try during your stay.
1. Cuy Asado – Roasted Guinea Pig
This is one of the most traditional dishes of Andean food. The cuy has been part of the rural society in Ecuador since pre-colonial times. Family farms breed them and minutely prepare them with special seasoning. It takes about 60 minutes to roast. Cuy is served with potatoes, salad, corn, and avocado. The meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol and tastes similar to rabbit. Cuy comes in various presentations, served fried (chactado or frito), broiled (asado), or roasted (al horno).
2. Caldo de patas – Cow’s Foot Soup
Cow foot soup is a typical and one of the best Ecuadorian dishes, it’s made with cow feet, yuca, mote, peanuts, milk, onions, garlic, herbs and species. People believe that Cow Foot Soup cures hangover. Traditionaly this his delicacie takes about 4 hours to cook in fire wood. This dish was inherited from colonial times.
3. Tripa Mishqui – Chunchullo
Tripa Mishqui is very popular in the Ecuadorian Highland, and it can be either pork or lamb intestine, which is grilled and cut in small pieces. The dish is served with mote, potatoes, tomato, onion, avocado and some herbs. This is a typical street food (“agachaditos”, as Ecuadorians call them) and are likely to be seen in traditional barrios La Floresta – Vicentina in Quito City. You can try this on a day trip in Quito to one of the city’s traditional barrios.
4. Fanesca
Fanesca is a traditional Ecuadorian Soup served in April during easter, this dish has 12 different kinds of beans and grains, plus bacalao (salt cod), sambo and pumpkin (zapallo). The last finishing touches are boiled eggs, maduro frito (fired plaintains), empanadas and herbs. This is a very seasonal dish, so you will only find it during Eastern (most of Airpirl) in local restaurants and family households.
5. Chontacuro – Chontacuro Worm
Chontacuro worm is common in the diet of several indigenous groups of the Amazon and follows a breeding process, especially in the province of Napo. It comes from fallen trunks of palm trees called “chontaduro”. This worm can be served fried or grilled, natives consider the delicacy as a good source of protein.
6. Yaguarlocro
Yahuarlocro is a light stew Ecuadorian Food prepared with potatoes, milk and lamb meat including intestines, liver, lung, tongue, etc. The name comes from the Kichwa words yawar (blood) and lukru (soup) -“blood soup”. It is usually always served with fried clogged lamb blood as a toppin, avocado and species. It can be the main dish depending on the size of the plate.
7. Ecuadorian Ceviche
When traveling on the coastal region of Ecuador, don not miss to try the classical Ceviche, a typical seafood dish popular in the almost all the coastline. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish, shrimp, octopus or crab cured in citrus juices (limín sutil), such as lemon or lime, and spiced with red onions, called cebolla paitena (ren onion); salt, and cilantro, may also be added. Ceviche is usually accompanied by sides are tostado (andean popcorn), chifles (thin slices of fried plantain) or patacones (thick green plantain chips), and popcorn. Some people also like to add ketchup and/or mustard to their ceviche, it’s a personal preference
* Special Mention: Chicha de Jora
Chica de Jora is a corn beer prepared by germinating maize, extracting malt sugars and fermenting in large vessel. The inca used chicha for ritual purposes and consumed during festivities. Now days, it accompanies most traditional dishes in the sierra region on Ecuador.
Well, now you have one more reason to plan a trip to Ecuador: The unique Ecuadorian food. Which one of these Ecuador delicacies would you like to try?
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