Drinks & Chocolate

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.