The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Ecuadorian Foods. If you manage to be in an Ecuadorian restaurant or you are visiting Ecuador, I recommend the following:
1. Shrimp Ceviche
It is a cold soup with seafood marinated in lemon, onion, tomato chunks and Ecuadorian spices. The most famous is the shrimp ceviche but you can also try shellfish, fish, crab, squid or any other seafood, you can even combine them and order a delicious mixed ceviche. There are also chifles (fried green plantain slices), popcorn, tostado (fried corn) and rice.
2. Llapingachos
Llapingachos are technically friendly potato patties stuffed with cheese, but sometimes they are also made with flour made from yuca, a root vegetable. The burgers are also served with peanut sauce. The dish originates from the city of Ambato and is especially popular among the inhabitants of the Ecuadorian highlands.
3. Empanada de Viento
Empanadas de viento are made with wheat flour dough, filled with quesillo, which is a creamy dairy product, and then fried in plenty of oil. When they are ready, they are sprinkled with sugar and are sensational. They are very crispy on the outside and extremely soft on the inside. Plus, the cheese will melt in your mouth. You can eat them for breakfast, as a snack or as a risky dinner.
4. Pan de Yuca
Yuca bread is one of the most popular snacks on the Ecuadorian coast and its recipe is one of the easiest to prepare. It is made from cassava starch, cheese, eggs, butter, baking powder and salt. Its texture is spongy and with a crunchy coating when they are fresh from the oven. You can serve it with yoghurt or a cup of coffee. It is also eaten as a breakfast or snack, or served as a starter or side dish for lunch.
5. Humita
Humitas basically consists of a slightly seasoned corn dough with cheese, which is wrapped in corn husks or corn on the cob and finally steamed. It is widely consumed in the Andean Region of Latin America such as Chile, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and the south of Colombia and Venezuela. They are very similar to Mexican tamales, but with marked differences. In other countries they are regularly called: chumales, choclotandas, tamalitos verdes, envueltos, bollos de mazorca and pamonha.
6. Cuy
One of the most characteristic and famous types of meat consumed in the Andean region of the country, they are sometimes minced and included in stews. The most popular way to serve cuy is roasted whole on the grill, although seeing the small legs can take some getting used to. The guinea pig is a guinea pig or guinea pig as we know it. It is roasted and served with cooked potatoes, a delicious peanut sauce and lettuce.
7. Choclo
In Ecuador, it is typical to find roasted corn for sale in the streets. They are usually served with a delicious cheese and coriander sauce. The choclo con queso is a snack, an appetizer or a treat for those who eat it, with that sweetness that can only be found in its tender kernels, contrasted with the subtle salty taste of a good fresh cheese. The Ecuadorian highlands offer us different altitudes, with a great variety of products that can be enjoyed all year round, and corn is one of these that, accompanied by a good piece of cheese, not only takes away our hunger, but makes us enjoy a dish that captivates by its simplicity.
8. Bolon de Verde
Made from shredded green plantain, a bolon de verde is like a large dumpling. Frying lovers should savour a bolón de verde, as the main ingredient is fried once to soften it, before it is shredded and mixed with pork and/or cheese, formed into a ball and then fried again.
9. Bizcochos de Cayambe
The Bizcochos de Cayambe are known nationally and internationally, for their flavour, texture and accompanied with a rich coffee, their taste is unique and incomparable. They are small elongated cakes extremely tasty made of flour, margarine, vegetable shortening and water. In Quito you can find them in the few bakeries that are left in the historic centre, but they say that their flavour is not the same since the birthplace of these cakes is in Cayambe.
10. Fritada de Chancho
It is a typical pork-based dish that you will find everywhere: from the most luxurious hotel in the capital to the “huecas” in the smallest and most charming villages of the Ecuadorian highlands. It carries crispy chunks of pork, packed with the unique seasoning of typical Ecuadorian food. Also, products harvested from the highlands such as llapingachos (potatoes with cheese), corn on the cob, mote, fried maduro, avocado and pickles. It is a hearty and exquisite dish.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional South American Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.