Introduction | Typical Food

SIERRA ( HIGHLANDS)

FRITADA (Fried Pork)

This is the favorite dish of people in the highlands.

The pork is first cooked with a little bit of salt. Once ready it is fried on its fat, plus onions and garlic.

We join the “fritada” with white corn called “mote” or with boiled sweet corns on the cob, cooked potatoes, avocado and “aji” which is a sort of hot sauce made of onion, persil, green pepper, tree tomato, and seasonings.

Child enjoying lunch Aji

Fritada is usually accompanied by Llapingachos…

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LLAPINGACHOS (Mashed potatoes tortilla)

Boil the potatoes and mash them with eggs, finely cut onion, milk, salt. Then form medium-sized tortillas, put some cheese in the center of it and bring it to a pan with hot oil.

Llapingachos may be covered with cheese sauce.

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TAMALES

They can be made of corn or of another kind of softer white corn existing on the Andes, called “mote”.

Tamales are covered with a leaf and cooked in a steam pan. They are filled with some vegetables, chicken and pork.

We eat them with a green sauce made of sunflower seeds, peanuts and seasonings.

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COLADA MORADA

This is a very special drink during 02 november, when we celebrate the day of the death.

It is red because it represents blood. This sweet hot beverage is made of red corn flour, and many sweet condiments like “ishpingo”, sweet pepper and sweet clove. It is served with small pieces of strawberries and pineapple.

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FANESCA

This is a soup that has all the grains that you can imagine that are produced in Ecuador: sweet corn, habas, pumpkin, beans, green beans, “chochos”, onions, green pepper, peanuts. It has a base of milk and perhaps what gives to it the special taste is the pieces of dried cod fish.

Ecuadorians eat Fanesca during Holy Week, Easter or how we call it in Spanish: Semana Santa or Pascua.

Families love it and make huge pans of it so that everyone can have 2 or more dishes.

Fanesca is served in large plates, with small fried breads, fried sweet banana chips, a leave of persil and a slice of boiled egg.

For dessert for this meal we have figs in syrup.

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DULCE DE HIGOS (Figs in Syrup)

The figs are cooked with “panela” which is a block of brown sugar from sugar cane. The figs turn black. We join them with pieces of cheese.

Great to enjoy with a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

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PONCHE (Egg-nog punch)

Ponche is a delicious hot beverage made with boiled milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Elderly people specially drink it in the little cafes located in colonial Quito.

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EMPANADAS

A friendly smiling Ecuadorian shows us an Empanada, in English called “turn-over”. Empanadas are stuffed with meat or chicken and green beans and small pieces of carrot or with some kind of vegetable sauce.

There are also Empanadas de Queso (cheese).

There are also sweet Empanadas filled with home made marmelade.

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HUMITAS

They are small cakes made of milled sweet corn, eggs and filled with cheese and fried onions. They are covered with a corn leaf and then steam cooked.

Humitas can be salty or sweet. Great with coffee or ponche!

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APLANCHADO

Our enthusiastic friend introduces us to this cake made with puff pastry and on the top a layer of hard sugar.

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PASTEL DE TRES LECHES (Three Milks Cake)

This delicious creamy cake famous region wide, is prepared also in Ecuador.

All you need is a vanilla cake, you cover it with evaporated milk, condensate milk, and milk cream. Top it with chantilly and cherries.

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JUGO DE FRUTAS NATURAL

They have great popularity during friend meetings. Most Ecuadorians join their meals with them. No concentrate or artificial mixtures are used, fruits are peeled off, take the pit off, add water, sugar and bring it to the mixer. The ones called “batidos” have milk instead of water, they are creamier.

For your health safety when having one make sure to ask in the restaurant if the water is bottled.

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THE COAST & GALAPAGOS

ENCEBOLLADO

To prepare it we use fish like tuna, albacora or bonito. Fish is boiled with seasonings and mandioc (cassava). Once ready, we put in a plate the mandioc, the pieces of boiled fish and to the remaining soup before serve it we add a little bit of “achiote” to give a red color. We add also pepper.

“Encebollado” is served with pop corn and banana chips.

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BOLON DE VERDE

To make a “Bolon” (means big ball). You need to boil peeled green bananas, then mash them with eggs, onion, salt and a little bit of milk. Mix until you get a uniform pastry. Before forming the balls, for more taste you can add “chicharron” (fried pork small pieces).

Fry in very hot oil.

People in the coast eat bolones a lot, specially at the beach, you can find little rustic places where they are sold with a cup of hot coffee. It can be a good breakfast.

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FRUIT COCKTAILS

In the coast there are little kiosks all along the beach that offer natural and pure fruit cocktail. We recommend specially the Coconut juice.

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