Food & Drink

Sierra — Highland Cuisine

The cuisine of the highlands is hearty, warming, and potato-based. Ecuador is one of the origin countries of the potato, and the variety is overwhelming — over 400 varieties are grown in the highlands. Almost every meal includes rice (arroz), even when potatoes are served. The main dishes:

• Locro de papas — Thick potato soup with cheese and avocado. THE comfort food of the highlands. Available in every restaurant and market stall.
• Cuy (guinea pig) — The most iconic dish of Ecuador. Whole guinea pig, grilled or fried, served with potatoes. Tastes similar to rabbit — crispy skin, tender meat. Culturally important and a must for the brave. From 15 USD.
• Hornado — Whole suckling pig, roasted for hours in the oven. Crispy skin, juicy meat, served with Llapingachos (potato pancakes) and Mote (cooked corn kernels). The market women in Cuenca and Ambato make the best.
• Llapingachos — Potato pancakes filled with cheese, fried, and served with peanut sauce. Ubiquitous and always good.
• Fritada — Fried pork with Mote, Llapingachos, and Curtido (onion salad). Hearty and filling.

Costa — Coastal Cuisine

On the coast, everything revolves around fish, seafood, and plantains. The cuisine is lighter, spicier, and more influenced by coconut milk:

• Ceviche ecuatoriano — Shrimp or fish in a tomato sauce with lime, coriander, and onions. Served with Patacones (fried green plantains) and — typically Ecuadorian — popcorn to sprinkle in. Quite different from Peruvian ceviche, but just as good.
• Encebollado — Hearty tuna stew with yuca, onions, and tomatoes. The national breakfast of the coast and the best hangover cure in the country. 3–5 USD.
• Encocado — Fish or shrimp in coconut milk sauce, typical of Esmeraldas. Creamy, flavorful, excellent.
• Bolón de verde — Mashed green plantain, fried and filled with cheese or Chicharrón. The breakfast of the coast.

Oriente — Jungle Cuisine

The cuisine of the Amazon is simple and exotic: river fish (tilapia, piranha), yuca, plantains, and exotic fruits. The most typical drink is Chicha de Yuca — fermented yuca juice, which indigenous women chew and spit out to initiate fermentation. The brave try it during community visits. Taste: slightly sour, cloudy, surprisingly refreshing.

Beverages

• Jugos (fresh juices) — Freshly squeezed juices are available on every corner for 50 cents to 2 USD: Passion fruit (maracuyá), Soursop (guanábana), Naranjilla (a unique Andean fruit), Tree tomato (tomate de árbol), Blackberry (mora). The variety is a dream.
• Pilsener & Club — The two most popular beer brands in Ecuador. Light lagers, perfect for the heat. 1–3 USD in restaurants, 1 USD in supermarkets.
• Canelazo — A hot drink made from sugarcane liquor (aguardiente), cinnamon water, and Naranjilla juice. The winter drink of the highlands, especially at festivals and markets. Warms from the inside.
• Aguardiente — Sugarcane liquor, the base of Canelazo. Drunk neat: only for the stout-hearted.
• Guayusa tea — A caffeinated tea from the Amazon, consumed by the Kichwa for centuries as a morning ritual. Milder than coffee but just as invigorating. Ecuador's answer to Yerba Mate.
• Coffee — Ecuador produces excellent coffee, especially in the Loja region (Vilcabamba) and the Intag Valley. Unfortunately, many restaurants only serve instant coffee (Nescafé). For good coffee: seek out specialized cafés in Quito, Cuenca, or Vilcabamba.

Chocolate — Ecuador's Brown Gold

Ecuador produces the best cocoa in the world. The variety Cacao Nacional Fino de Aroma is considered the holy grail among chocolatiers — a complex aroma profile with notes of jasmine, citrus, and tropical fruits. Ecuador is the largest exporter of fine cocoa worldwide, and chocolate brands like Pacari, República del Cacao, and Kallari have won international awards.

For chocolate lovers, Ecuador is a paradise:

• Bean-to-bar tours in Mindo, Tena, or at Río Muchacho: from the cocoa fruit through fermentation and roasting to the finished bar — all in a few hours.
• Chocolate shops in Quito (República del Cacao on Reina Victoria, Pacari shop in Mariscal) and Cuenca.
• Prices: A premium chocolate bar (Pacari, 72%) costs 3–5 USD in Ecuador — a fraction of the European price. Perfect souvenir.