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Top 10 Ecuadorian Foods
There is something unique about Ecuadorian food. Dishes have been passed down for centuries from the Incas and even well before that. The top 10 Ecuadorian foods are a mixture of main courses, side dishes, soups, and there’s even a bonus at the end of the best Ecuadorian drinks and the best Ecuadorian alcohol.
You’re going to find different foods in Ecuador depending on your region. The food in the Andes is different from the food in the Amazon, which is different from the food on the Ecuadorian coast.
I didn’t fall in love with the food in Ecuador. When you travel to some countries, food is one of the main draws of going there. Italy, Mexico, Thailand, and France come to mind. Ecuador isn’t one of those countries, but there are some dishes worth trying, and one I could hardly believe anyone would even think about eating (Guaguamama).
My favourite meals were the lunches, or almuerzos. You’ll find thiseverywhere in Ecuador. Each restaurant will have a couple of choices for your almuerzo, similar to a daily special. The meal comes with a soup to start (usually my favourite part of the meal), a main plate consisting of rice, beans/lentils, a modest salad, fried plantains, your choice of the daily special protein, and fruit juice to drink. All of this for usually somewhere around $2-$3.
Corn’s also an important part of Ecuadorian cuisine. It’s normal to be served popcorn along with your meals.
Enough with the preamble though, let’s dig in to the Top 10 Ecuadorian Foods.
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1. Llapingachos
While not really a main dish, count yourself lucky when you’re served some llapingachos on the side. These thick, fried potato and cheese pancakes are my favourite part of Ecuadorian cuisine. Kind of like the Ecuadorian version of a perogy, they are a delicious and filling part of your plate.
I would eat them as a main if it were acceptable. Maybe drape them in gravy, add some melted cheese and call it an Ecuadorian poutine. Sounds like a hangover cure.
2. Seco de Pollo
Stewed chicken. The first time I ordered this I was a bit surprised with what I got. Seco means dry in Spanish, so I was assuming I was getting some sort of dried chicken. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it?
I was relieved when it arrived covered in sauce. I also knew my Spanish needed more practice. Evidently seco can mean more than just dry.
There are quite a few varieties of seco de pollo, but most commonly it’ll be a red sauce consisting of tomato, garlic, onion, cilantro, some spices, and the secret ingredient – beer!
I gotta admit I didn’t know beer was involved in this meal until I started writing this article, looking up the recipes. But I’m a tad more fond of it now knowing that I was getting a healthy portion of barley with my meal.
Secos can be made with a variety of different types of meat.
3. Hornado
Oh hornado. This is a visually impossible-to-miss dish in Ecuador. It’s literally a whole roasted pig. It’s popular in the highland regions and you’re bound to see it while walking through one of the food markets in the Andes settlements.
Not only is the meat delicious, but it’s usually accompanied by llapingachos. Kill two birds with one stone when you order up a plate of hornado.
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4. Encebollado
Stewed fish and pickled red onion soup. You’re going to eat a lot of soup in Ecuador, usually as a starter to your main courses. Encebollado though is one of the few soups that gets served as the feature act.
It’s usually made with albacore (longfin tuna), but you’re likely to find a few different varieties. This soup is the official hangover cure of Ecuador.
Typically served with chifles (fried green plantains), popcorn, and lime, encebollado is a must try when you’re in Ecuador (unless you don’t like fish or onions). Don’t be shy when adding lime juice to your encebollado, the more the merrier.
5. Guatita
You might need a strong stomach for this one, pun intended. Yeah, guatita is made using the stomach lining of cattle, and usually cooked in a potato, peanut sauce. It’s a traditional dish with a strong flavour and if you aren’t accustomed to the taste of entrails, this dish might turn you off.
Personally, I’m not a fan. But with how popular this dish is in Ecuador I couldn’t leave it off the list. Any restaurant that serves it will be happy to give you a little sample if you don’t fancy a full portion.
6. Fried Plantains
You’ll find some variety of fried plantains with nearly every meal. The yellow maduro plantains are generally soft and chewy, whereas the hard green plantains, plátano verde, are tougher and crispier.
On the coast of Ecuador you’ll find the plantains in patacón form. Small disks of fried, flattened green plantains accompany almost every meal.
If you’re in search of a midday snack, be on the lookout for street vendors selling whole fried plantains that are cut open down the middle and filled with cheese. Call it a snack or an Ecuadorian dessert, but it is absolutely delicious.
7. Bolón de Verde
Another plantain inspired dish is the bolón de verde (green ball). Green plantains are boiled or fried and then crushed similarly to mashed potatoes. The plantain mash is then mixed with salt, cheese, and chicharron (pork rinds).
You’ll find variations of this dish made with different meats or spices depending on where you go. But it’s always made with mashed green plantains.
This is typically a breakfast meal served with fried eggs. And I’ve gotta say, I can’t remember having a better breakfast in Ecuador than the bolón de verde and fried egg I enjoyed in the small little surf town of Olón.
8. Cuy (Guinea Pig)
You may have heard of this one already, and I hope it doesn’t upset you, but guinea pig is a popular traditional meal in Ecuador. Ecuadorians consider it a delicacy. If you see a house somewhere or farm that has guinea pigs roaming around, you’d be safe to guess that they aren’t family pets.
If you can’t stomach the idea of biting into a guinea pig, don’t worry. It’s not like cuy is a super common option in restaurants. And it’s certainly not something you need to worry about eating when you are unsure what type of meat is in front of you.
Guinea pig, or cuy, is one of the more expensive meals in Ecuador, getting up into the $10+ range when most meals are around $2-3. Nobody is going to serve you guinea pig by accident.
You won’t find it everywhere in Ecuador, but one of the spots most well-known for the delicacy is Cotacachi. It’s a few hours north of Quito, and just a short ride from the charming market town of Otavalo.
9. Empanadas de Viento
Wind Empanadas. No, they aren’t filled with actual wind but they are extremely light and airy, giving them their name. Empanadas de viento are usually filled with a thin layer of cheese and sprinkled with sugar.
They can be found all over Ecuador and are a great midday snack. Despite them being fried dough with cheese, they aren’t particularly heavy in your stomach.
10. Ceviche
Most Latin American countries have their own take on ceviche, and Ecuador is no different. The most popular ceviche in Ecuador is shrimp-based.
Ceviche is a seafood dish where the seafood gets cooked by sitting in a citrus juice, usually limes. In Ecuador, you’re typically going to find ceviche that has tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro. Ecuadorian ceviche is much soupier than its Peruvian cousin.
Along with your delightfully citrus-acidic seafood, you’ll be served popcorn (of course), chifles (plantain chips), and tostados (roasted corn kernels). On a hot day there isn’t much I like more than sitting outside with a bowl of ceviche and a nice cold beer.
The Craziest Ecuadorian Food
If you thought eating guinea pig or cow stomach covered in peanut sauce (guatita) was a bit too adventurous, you’re probably not going to believe what else is on offer in Ecuador.
It’s common to see all sorts of meals in Ecuador composed of almost every part of an animal you can imagine. They like to use it all. I respect that. There’s one part though that I think should’ve been left off the dinner table.
Guagamama
Cow placenta. I never thought I’d see this on a menu, but if you are extremely adventurous, or hungry, and cow’s milk isn’t giving you the nutrients you need, why not go one step further up the development ladder and sink your teeth into a steaming pot of cooked cow placenta.
I couldn’t do it. I thought about it for a while but I just couldn’t bring myself to try it. No regrets there. It would’ve been disgusting. It had to be disgusting, right?
I just happened to stumble into this restaurant in Quito that is quite famous for the dish. As far as I know, nobody else is serving guaguamama in Ecuador. It’s quite nutritious, which I don’t doubt, but still not for me.
If you do want to try it though, or even just want to see it, I’ll tell you where to go. Very close to the centro histórico in Quito, on a street called Don Bosco, is where you’ll find the Picantería Rosita.
They serve very traditional Ecuadorian food here. And it’s quite tasty I might add. In fact, this is the first place where I ever tried #1 on our list, llapingachos. I wasn’t brave enough to try the guaguamama, but if you are, please let me know how it tastes.
Best Ecuadorian Drinks
One of the things I loved about the meals in Ecuador were the fresh fruit juices that came with most meals. Ecuador is the land of fresh fruit and you’ll be treated to all sorts of varieties of fruit that you’ve never heard of.
Aside from the fruits though, there are 2 traditional Ecuadorian drinks that you’ll have to try.
Colada Morada
Colada morada is a thick, purple drink that is served warm and usually consumed around the Day of the Dead in Ecuador (November 2). You can still find it outside of this time but you might have to look a little harder. Restaurants will usually put a sign up (sí hay colada morada) in their windows when they’ve got a fresh batch of the purple drink.
It tastes like a warm red sangria without the alcohol. It’s quite soothing. It’s made from purple corn flour and will usually have some chunks of different fruits in the drink. Cinnamon, cloves, and other spices give it a nice hearty flavour that’s perfect for sipping on a cool evening in the Andes mountains.
When I visited Loja, a beautiful city in the south of Ecuador, I was walking around the main square on October 31st and there were somewhere close to 100 tables set up with people selling their take on the traditional drink. What a treat that was to stumble upon.
Morocho
Morocho is a thicker, sweeter, drink than colada morada. It’s made from morocho corn, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and raisins. It has the consistency and look of a rice pudding. Morocho is served hot and again is a great drink to warm you up on a cool evening.
In fact, the first time I tried morocho was at the same place that serves up the enchanting guaguamama. That restaurant is certainly worth a visit (Picantería Rosita).
Best Ecuadorian Alcohol
My preference when it comes to alcohol is beer. A nice whiskey is a treat, and I don’t mind a good tequila, or even better yet, mezcal.
The beer in Ecuador was just alright, though. Pilsener and Club are average beers and quite often your only options at a restaurant. They’re nothing incredible, but they’re quite unoffensive as well. I prefer beer that has flavour though.
If you spend enough time in Ecuador, you’ll start to hear a lot about aguardiente.
Aguardiente
The most commonly enjoyed alcohol in Ecuador is aguardiente. In Ecuador, aguardiente is a sugarcane-based alcohol that is left without added flavours, unlike the Colombian variety that has a heavy anise flavour (think Ouzo, or Sambuca).
Aguardiente is usually bottled around 40% ABV and drank straight in shot form or mixed into cocktails.
There you have it, the Top 10 Ecuadorian Foods. Now go out and get yourself a seco de pollo with llapingachos on the side and wash it all down with a shot of strong Ecuadorian aguardiente.
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