Ecuador may be a tiny nation, but its food scene packs a huge flavor punch! This South American country at the equator has taken ingredients and cooking styles from indigenous cultures, Spanish colonizers, and more to create some truly unique and delicious dishes. Get ready to experience an amazingly tasty tour of Ecuadorian food across Ecuador.
Here is List of Ecuadorian food
1. Locro de Papas
Let’s start with one of Ecuador’s most iconic comfort foods. Locro de papas is a thick, hearty potato soup that will stick to your ribs. Its main players are potatoes, cheese, avocado, and kernels of giant white corn called Choclo. Simple ingredients, but cooked low and slow until nice and creamy. Don’t be surprised to find a whole egg dropped right into your bowl too – it adds an extra velvety richness! This humble soup originated with indigenous Andean communities as a filling, nourishing meal. Now you’ll find Locro served everywhere from household kitchens to high-end restaurants across Ecuador. Definitely a must-try on chilly days!
2. Llapingachos
These pan-fried potato patties may just become your new french fry obsession! To make Llapingachos, boiled potato dough is stuffed with cheese (often a fresh farmers’ cheese), then formed into thick oval patties and fried until crispy golden brown on the outside. The cheese center gets all melty and delicious. You’ll often find Llapingachos served with peanut sauce, avocado, chorizo sausage, or other tasty toppings too. Grab some spicy red aji criollo sauce on the side for an extra kick! These addictive treats are popular breakfast or snack fare that you can find sold by street vendors all over Ecuadorian food.
3. Hornado
This is the meal for any carnivore visiting Ecuador. Hornado is a seasoned whole roast pig, slow-cooked for hours until the skin turns cracklin’ crispy while the tender meat falls right off the bone. It’s usually rubbed down in a blend of salt, lard, herbs, and tons of garlic before the roasting process begins. Resulting in the most insanely juicy and savory pork ever! You’ll find hornado at many Ecuadorian restaurants and celebratory gatherings. Just be sure to get there early – the best batches tend to sell out quickly. Grab some Llapingachos on the side for a full carb-protein blast.
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4. Ceviche
With Ecuador’s long Pacific coastline, it should come as no surprise that ceviche is one of the national treasures of cuisine here. This appetizer of raw, bite-sized seafood like shrimp, fish, or conch gets “cooked” in a zesty marinade of freshly squeezed citrus juices. Usually lots of bright lemon and orange juice, with spicy aji chilies thrown in for an extra kick. The acid from the juices actually firms up and lightly pickles the tender seafood. Toss in some sliced red onion, cilantro, and salt, and you’ve got an amazing explosion of tangy, spicy, briny flavors in one dish. Ceviche is such an institution in Ecuador that there are even Cevicherias which are restaurants solely dedicated to this refreshing delicacy!
5. Cuy
If you are looking for “Ecuadorian food near me”, then you must try this Cuy. For the truly adventurous eaters out there, here’s an authentic taste of indigenous Andean cuisine: Cuy, which is roasted guinea pig. Yes, you read that right! These little critters have long been a staple protein source for native communities living high up in the Ecuadorian Andes. To prepare Cuy, the whole guinea pig is seasoned liberally with salt, spices, and herbs, then roasted over hot coals until crispy-skinned and steaming hot inside. While the idea may take some getting used to, Cuy is actually quite delicious if you think of it like a mushy cross between pork and rabbit. Many say the meat has a rich, slightly nutty flavor. Just don’t think about its cute, furry origins! You’ll find cuy sold by traditional cuy makers in countryside markets and villages.
6. Empanadas
These flaky, hand-sized stuffed pastries are iconic snack foods all across South America. But Ecuador puts its own unique spin on empanadas. The fillings can range from cheese and pork to chicken, to plantain, and eggs. But shredded green plantain is a key ingredient that makes Ecuadorian empanadas distinct with their slightly tangy, starchier filling. The half-moon-shaped pastries get brushed with egg before baking to achieve a gorgeous sheen and crispy outside texture. Often vendors sell these piping hot out of big straw baskets on street corners all across Ecuador. Just try to resist that heavenly aroma!
7. Patacones
Let’s keep that fried plantain goodness going with another must-try Ecuadorian side: Patacones! Green plantains get sliced into thick oval pieces, then smashed thin with a Tostonera (wooden utensil) before being deep fried until crispy on both sides. The result is the most addictively tasty, crunchy-outside-but-fluffy-inside fried plantain patties ever. Seriously, these salty, starchy bites have an almost meaty richness that makes them incredibly moreish. Patacones are the perfect accompaniment for scooping up sauces, stews, or ceviches. Or just snack on them solo with a cold beer!
8. Morocho
Finally, we have to discuss an Ecuadorian food of beloved breakfast staple and nutritious dessert option too – morocho! This thick, almost porridge-like drink gets its intense purple color and sweet, slightly tart taste from Morocho corn (a prized variety of blue/purple corn kernels) simmered for ages with milk, cinnamon, chocolate, fruits like pineapple, and sometimes even a splash of rum. You’ll often find Morocho vendors out with huge pots, ladling up this hearty, beautifully tasty concoction to customers for cheap, filling breakfasts or evening snacks. Protein-rich, energizing, and so satisfyingly delicious!
