Emblematic products
Diversity is a constant in Ecuador and gastronomy is no exception. The country of the four worlds has a great variety of flavors, which vary depending on the region and time of the year in which we find ourselves.
Fine cocoa aroma and coffee recognized worldwide for its excellence, more than 150 varieties of potatoes, seven peanuts, quinoa, known as the “food of ancient Andean cultures”, delicious and fresh seafood such as shrimp, positioned as one of the best on the planet, corn, bananas, and one of the least intervened cuisines in Latin America such as the Amazon, are just some of the components of Ecuadorian cuisine.
Thousands of natural products of excellent quality, delicious flavors and aromas, and expert hands preparing recipes that passed from generation to generation, make Ecuador a true culinary power worthy of discovery.
Corn
Ancestrally it’s considered a sacred food and has been part of rituals and traditions.
It is a very important nutritional source. In Ecuador there are different types of corn like white, purple, yellow, chulpi, canguil, morocho and germinated.
The one that is the most cultivated is the white and floury that is consumed dry or tender. The plant is native to America, fast growing and reaches up to 2.5 m in height; From its erect, rigid and solid stem, they grown with two or three cobs.
Potato
Ancestrally they were germinated in the temperate valleys of the Andean alley and there was great diversity of potatoes of smaller size and rapid growth, they didn’t need need rest between harvest and sowing.
Currently around 350 varieties of native potatoes are produced, valued for its high nutritional value, Súper Chola potato is the most consumed and it is a benchmark of farming with organic technology.
In Ecuador the potato is linked to social, ancestral and contemporary uses of the high-Andean people.
Quinoa
It is the most important native grain of the Andean region; valued since before the arrival of the Spaniards and second in importance after the corn.During the Inca Empire the quinoa had its own ritual and festive calendar.
Ecuadorian quinoa has a golden color, distinctive from the grain, due to geographic location; because of its nutritional value is currently very appetizing for the creation of innovative dishes that have conquered kitchens all over the world.
Banana
Ecuador, due to its location in the middle of the world, it has a humid tropical area that allows to produce bananas all year, which is recognized worldwide for its perfume and exquisite taste.
It’s considered as one of the first domesticated and cultivated fruit by man and their consumption in the country expanded by the hand of people of African descent; It is produced especially in the Ecuadorian coast, and is an essential ingredient of the cuisine of the Ecuadorian coast. It is rich in fiber, potassium and vitamins.
Shrimp
Records confirm that the “whiteleg” shrimp was part of the Valdivia culture (3,800 BC). It is an endemic species recognized worldwide for its texture, size and flavor.
It is located along the coast Ecuador including the Insular Region. It is one of the most sought after product in the international markets, and main character of the Ecuadorian gastronomy.
Coffee
Ecuador possesses almost all the varieties of Arabica and robusta coffee; in the Galapagos Islands organic coffee is grown, which have designation of origin, cherished by its aroma and flavor.
Different ecosystems allow it to occur in all four regions. The Arabica coffee is fruitful, has higher acidity with a sweet and aromatic taste, smooth on the palate, ideal for specialty drinks; the robusta is stronger, has a final bitter taste, full-bodied and little perfumed, however Ecuador is considered a specialty coffee producer.