The typical dishes of Ecuador have a Spanish base very influenced by the foods and ingredients of the various indigenous ethnic groups that still coexist in the territory.
Ecuador's gastronomy is influenced both by its cultural wealth and by the geographic regions that make it up.
In addition, each region has its own gastronomy: the coast, an area that runs through the Pacific Ocean; the sierra, mountainous Andean area; Oriente, a region located in the Amazon; and the insular zone or Galapagos Islands.
In Ecuadorian dishes it is common to find beef and pork, fish and shellfish, and plantains. Ecuador is one of the main producers of this fruit globally.
The 5 traditional dishes of Ecuador
1- Ceviche
It is the Ecuadorian dish by definition. The privileged location of Ecuador in front of the Pacific Ocean allows the offer of marine products to be wide and of quality.
Ceviche consists of “cooking” the fish with the acid of the lemon, seasoned with onions, chili and other ingredients.
However, the most representative is the shrimp ceviche, which is prepared with the shrimp already cooked and cleaned.
All the ingredients are placed in a bowl, next to the fish or shrimp, and left to rest in the fridge.
2- Fry
The Ecuadorian fry is a very popular dish in the Ecuadorian highlands or Andean region.
It is pork, previously boiled, which is fried in the same fat as the animal. The chunks are usually large, so the cauldrons are large and deep.
It is served with boiled grains or cereals, corn, fried plantain, lettuce salad and llapingachos. The latter are grilled potato tortillas common in mountain cuisine.
3- Onions
This is another Ecuadorian coastal dish, although several cities claim its origin.
It is a fish soup, with a well-seasoned broth, which contains pickled red onions and yucca.
The favorite fish for onions is albacore -a variety of tuna- although other tuna can also be used.
The garnish is usually rice, bread or thin slices of green plantain fried in plenty of oil. When serving it is usually added lemon and chili, an Ecuadorian hot sauce.
4- Guatita
Guatita is a beef belly or tripe that, once washed and cleaned and boiled to soften it, is cooked with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and peppers
It is flavored with spices, peanuts and aromatic herbs. Other variations include legumes and milk. It is common to serve it with avocado and rice.
5- Green bolón
Bolón is a traditional Ecuadorian dish for breakfast, a snack or as a garnish or accompaniment to other dishes.
It consists of a ball made with green plantains that are fried, ground and kneaded with salt.
Then, with the hands, they are given their characteristic shape and filled with cheese or a stew of meat, pork rinds or chorizo.
Later they are fried or baked. In the mornings it is usually accompanied with fried eggs.
References
- America, P. (2017). Typical food of Ecuador. TravelJet. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from viajejet.com
- Clifford, S. (2017). Traditional Dishes and Local Food of Ecuador. Ecuadortravelsite.org. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from ecuadortravelsite.org
- Ecuador, N., & Ecuador, N. (2017). Top 7 Exotic Delicacies Ecuadorian Dishes and Food. Nature Galapagos & Ecuador. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from naturegalapagos.com
- The 10 most popular dishes of Ecuador. (2017). Univision.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from univision.com
- The Gastronomy of Ecuador. (2017). TODAY - News from Ecuador and the world. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from todayinecuador.com