Ecuadorian cuisine is known for its innumerable potato varieties, the spicy heat of the ají pepper and the soft crackle of roasting guinea pig. The food is solid, healthy, tasty and can be cooked easily in kitchens around the world. Popular dishes are ceviche, llapingachos, locro (potato soup) and humitas, Incan-style tamales.
As hinted by its name, the country of Ecuador lies on either side of the equator along the northwestern coast of South America. Its neighbor in the south and east is Peru, and it shares a border with Colombia in the north. Ecuador has a long Pacific coast, a mountainous central region and tropical lowlands in the Amazon interior.
The food of Ecuador offers a mix of two worlds. There is a deep foundation of Incan heritage mixed together with the influence of Old World cuisine. More typically Incan cuisine is concentrated in the mountainous inland areas and the diet is based on meat, rice and potatoes. Nearer the coast, the diet is centered around fish, seafood and plantains.
Typical Ecuadorian Dishes
A list of typical Ecuadorian dishes and foods. Use it to help you plan a Ecuadorian-style meal, party or festival.
Antojitos (Appetizers and Snacks)
- Cancha (Toasted corn snack)
- Chifles (Plantain chips)
Sopas (Soups and Stews)
- Encebollado (Seafood soup)
- Locro (Potato-cheese soup)
- Sopa de Tomates con Platanos (Tomato soup with plantains)
Carne (Meats)
- Arroz con Menestra y Carne (Beef with rice and beans)
- Charqui (Dried meat jerky)
- Cuy (Guinea pig)
Pescado y Mariscos (Fish and Seafood)
- Bollos de Pescado (Fish and peanut wrapped in banana leaves)
- Ceviche (Citrus-marinated seafood)
- Encocado de Pescado (Fish with coconut sauce)
Verduras y Frijoles (Vegetables and Beans)
- Habas Lima con Chiles (Lima beans with chiles)
- Llapingachos (Potato-cheese patties)
- Muchines de Yuca (Stuffed and fried cassava balls)
- Patacones (Fried plantains)
Pan y Arroz (Breads and Grains)
- Arroz con Menestra y Carne Asada (Rice with meat and beans)
- Humitas (Incan tamales)
- Pan de Yuca (Cassava bread)
Salsas (Sauces)
- Aji Costeño (Coastal pepper sauce)
- Aji Serrano (Serrano pepper sauce)
Escabeche (Pickles and Preserves)
- Cebollas Encurtidas (Pickles red onions)
Postres (Desserts)
- Bien me Sabe (Coconut dessert)
Bebidas (Beverages)
- Chicha de Jora (Fermented corn beverage)
- Cuáker (Oatmeal beverage)
Ecuadorian Recipes
Try these recipes from the country of Ecuador.
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