DINING WITH EL PRESIDENTE

by MICHAEL SHAPIRO

A national roast pork competition in the mountain town of Otavalo showcases local flavor.

My wife and I didn’t come to Ecuador for the national roast pork festival. Until we got to the mountain town of Otavalo, known for its bustling open-air market, we hadn’t even heard of the event, known as the Campeonato Mundial del Hornado.

In 2016, we planned to visit the Galapagos Islands, and we asked a savvy travel advisor where else in Ecuador we should go. Without missing a beat, she recommended Otavalo, home to one of South America’s largest craft and food markets.

After seeing the giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos, we returned to the mainland and headed for Otavalo.

At outdoor markets, people lined up for roast pork, the country’s national dish. Vendors proudly displayed the whole roast pig, typically with a shiny red apple in its mouth. After wandering the Saturday market’s alleys

for hours and buying gorgeously woven tapestries to take home, we sat down on a park bench.

Next to me was a middle-age man with his family; we got to talking, and he invited us to his home for warm sweetened milk and cookies. He asked us in Spanish if we’d come to Otavalo for the Campeonato Mundial?

“The world championship?” I asked. “Of what?”

“Hornado!” he said. “Roast pork! The president is coming!”

“The president of Ecuador?” I asked, finding it hard to fathom that the country’s top official would come to this remote highland outpost for a food festival.

“Sí, Rafael Correa, el presidente del país!”

The festival would start the next morning in the stadium outside of town. It would take about a half hour to walk there, our new friend told us. People in highland Ecuador measured distance in walking time. The next morning marching bands trumpeted through the narrow streets, church bells rang, and excited children shouted with anticipation. We joined the celebratory procession, approaching the stadium on dusty paths.

The crowd was a mix of indigenous people who’d come down from surrounding pueblos and locals dressed in Western attire. Patriotic songs boomed over the PA system; then Gerardo Morán, one of Ecuador’s most popular singers, serenaded the thousands of people in the stadium.

Best of all, we could smell the savory meat roasting. There were 20-some booths selling plates of slowroasted pork, prepared the typical Ecuadorian way: with garlic and lime, and spices such as cumin, coriander, paprika and achiote (ground annatto seed, which gives the meat a golden-orange hue).

Traditional roast pork requires a couple of days of marinating and several hours of cooking, so it’s often made for special occasions.

Wearing a white shirt embroidered with Ecuador’s rainbow emblem, sleeves rolled up, the dashing President Correa sat in the center of a long table with his fellow judges, facing the crowd. It almost looked like a scene from The Last Supper.

Correa clearly relished his role as the master of ceremonies, cheering on the bands, applauding the chefs, and admiring the young women servers who brought him plate after plate. He appeared to enjoy every bite.

Three trophies stood on the stage — one towering, one big, and one modest — to be awarded to the top three hornados, as determined by Correa and his team of judges. It was like attending a live version of Top Chef.

Each of the booths represented one of Ecuador’s 24 provinces. They served aromatic plates of pork with traditional side dishes such as hominy and salsa.

I spoke to a chef at one of the booths, Bryan Alvarado of Imbabura province. Each dish represents the “proprias personas,” the distinct personality of the people who cook it, he told me, and each family has its own recipe. Beyond the spices, he said, the pork is typically simmered in butter and beer. He insisted we try his recipe and dished out some succulent slices for us.

We took our plates to a long picnic table. An elderly woman in traditional dress watched as we tasted the pork. I smiled and said: “Delicioso!” She beamed and nodded, pleased that we were enjoying the plato tipico of Ecuador.

As dusk approached, a chill enveloped the stadium so my wife and I decided to head back to town. The winners hadn’t been announced yet, but our bellies were full and our hearts content after a day of cultural connection and savory food, garnished with the kindness of strangers.

Want to extend your next cruise with a delicious inland adventure? Contact your trusted Ensemble Travel Advisor.

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