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For Ecuador is known for its wide variety of fruits, bananas, passion fruits, papayas, world class seafood such as jumbo shrimp, and an incredible mixture of Andean products with coastal products across the country. Such a mixture is also available in the Amazon rainforest.
Across Ecuador you’ll find delicious menus from which you can select national and regional recipes. This includes one of the secrets of Ecuador, lemon-marinated shrimp with, toasted corn, known as Ceviche. This is not like Peruvian cerviche. It is more spicy and has many different varieties that use seafood such as shrimp, fish and octopus. It is very flavorsome.
One of the most unusual dishes you will find is the roasted cuy (guinea pig) or cow-stomach stew, guatita. Both of these are Andean delights. The Coast has its own amazing dishes.
Budget travellers can eat in local restaurants. Classic almuerzos (lunches), and dinners, meriendas, usually give you soup, a main course, juice and dessert for between $1.50 and $3.
Eating on the street is always at your risk. The hygiene standards here are not recommended, though with care travelers can eat here. Fresh fruit and juices may look great but if the water is not bottled you may get sick.
The main “hot” sauce is Ají, hot sauce made from a spicy red pepper grown in the Ecuadorian Andes, coast and tropical coast. This red pepper has many different names and is similar to Mexican species. Levels of Aji vary from province to province. Try just a little at first, especially in the Carchi and Loja provinces. Here the Aji is really strong but in the rest of the country it is a nice spicy sauce, ideal to add to soups and main dishes. The locals say that when you have to eat bad food it is easier to do so with aji. This may be advice that is worth keeping in mind.
Across Ecuador you’ll find delicious menus from which you can select national and regional recipes...
Patacones (squashed, fried green plantains) accompany basic dishes on the Coast. They are an excellent accompaniment to your breakfast, which will include rice, patacones, eggs, a hot cup of coffee and fruits.
At the coast, rice and fried steak are served with menestras (beans or lentils) and cassava. This is a traditional large meal that will make you want to sleep afterward.
Soups are without a doubt Ecuador’s specialty. Potato locro soup made with cheese, avocado and potato, sounds a bit different, but is a delightful recipe. Yaguarlocro is really similar to locro but includes sprinklings of fried cow blood. This looks weird, but has a great flavor and you might love it. Both dishes come from Guayllabamba, just 30 minutes away from Quito and there are a lot of restaurants to choose from there.
Ecuadorian typical food, recipes and cuisine offer an array of novel tasty dishes to try. While the general gastronomy of the country varies by region, rice - accompanied by beef, chicken, pork, legumes, and potatoes - is a staple everywhere. Ají, a spicy sauce, is served with most dishes. Below is a list of several typical dishes, which can be found in various forms nationwide.
