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Mote Pillo Corn is one of the most traditional foodstuffs for Ecuadorian country families. Cooking corn is part of the ritual of bringing people together; children come home in the afternoon and join in preparing and eating it with the family. For a lot of small farmers, the corn plant is a living being, with human form. The stalk represents the body, the flower the head; the leaves are the arms and the feet are near the roots. The word for corn, choclo, means the guagua or “child.� The nodes in the long stalk represent the age. Corn is also considered to be a symbol of the female, of the productivity and abundance of the earth. It is still very common to see corn, either on the cob or threshed, in collective ceremonies and rituals of gratitude to Mother Earth. It is also a tradition in various parts of Azuay to give a prize for the best corn cob of the year. Mote pillo is a traditional corn dish with age-old importance for the province. Mote, or hominy, is one of the main ingredients in typical dishes of the Ecuadorian highlands. The local taste for corn and its widespread consumption goes back to pre-Columbian times, when much of the indigenous diet was based on corn, and little has changed today.
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Chigüiles (Cornflour wraps) If you go to Guaranda, you will clearly pick up the tastes and smells of Carnival. In any home, you cannot fail to notice the unmistakeable smell of corn cooked up in any of its delicious varieties: mote, corn on the cob, or leaf-wrapped chigüiles or tamales, which keep some scent of the damp earth. The famous tostadito, made from dried corn, is good for the brain and, as such, preferred by some to caviar. Mazamorra, a type of corn porridge or grits, is a very nutritious meal. As Segundo Moreno comments, “The table is tantalizingly decorated with fruit, bread and so on, and the enticing bowls of mote are never missing. On these days people help themselves to eight or more dishes, including the alluring and well-seasoned guinea-pig, the tripe dish mondongo, appetising tamales and chigüiles, and the vintage slow roast pork pernil, etc. Another sine-qua-non is the delectable chicha [fermented drink], which is downed in great quantities.” (Moreno; 1983: 226). “All the houses open their doors to offer delicious snacks made from poultry, pork, lamb, guinea-pig, boiled corn, every kind of grain, and capers (flowers of the sisal cactus marinated in the fermented corn drink “chicha de jora”). Tamales and chigüiles are typical snacks. (Hidalgo; 198468-69).
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Cascaritas (Pork crackling) Nowadays the skinning of the pig is done with a blowtorch but, in the past, it was achieved by burning eucalyptus branches which, we are told, made it even tastier. When the skin is ready, the remaining scorched parts are scraped off with a knife so that the skin can be eaten golden and crispy, with mote [boiled corn], salt and 'ajicito' [chilli sauce]. The fattiest parts are used to make the crackling. Using a blowtorch and a sharp knife, the hairs of the animal are removed. Depending on the size and age of the pig, the preparation of the cascaritas (which consists basically of using a gas blowtorch to turn the surface of the skin golden) takes about two hours. The animal, whose innards have been removed and which has been skinned as described above, is then taken to the market place, where it is placed on a stall, ready for sale. Once it is there, the stall owner cuts off portions of crackling, which are very popular with customers. This is served with boiled mote and chilli sauce. You can try cascaritas on the Avenida 24 Mayo in the south of the town of Azogues, in the district known as Cuchilandia.
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Hornado Pastuso (Roast pork) Roast pork, hornado, is a traditional dish prepared for sale in the marketplace, and is made in most of the provinces in Ecuador. Hornado pastuso, however, from the province of Carchi, is slightly different for its special flavour and because it is served with a caldillo [gravy]. In Tulcรกn, several families have earned a living from making this dish for over 60 years and it is currently also sold in Quito. Selling the dish outside the canton proved very successful from the outset. Wood-fired kilns were traditionally used to make it. While this started out as a business among some families in Tuclan already renowned for their way of making the dish, it is also part of the traditional food sold in markets and restaurants throughout the canton. It is the usual fare at weddings, baptisms and communions, and expert chefs always have their waiting lists full. Sometimes you have to order your hornado one month in advance if you want to get it on time.
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BonitĂsimas (Corn patties) In Holy Week, particularly on the Monday and Tuesday, the main square of the town of Palmira is filled with women selling all kinds of food and drink. Fresh corn or corn flour is a basic ingredient of most of the dishes. All the townsfolk, as well as people from nearby villages, come along to the food festival on these dates. Corn has been central to the staple diet of these lands since before the Spanish conquest. Although it is part of everyday dishes, it is also considered a prized ingredient when special dishes are made for celebrations or welcoming visitors. “Out-of-the-ordinary events, such as a family gathering, an unexpected visit by some relative or a birthday, are a reason to make special dishes requiring more time and dedication. In Chimborazo, as in other provinces of the Ecuadorian highlands, wheat flour and corn are used as ingredients in many of the dishes prepared as bocadillos [snacks] or delicacies for special occasions.â€?
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Chugchucaras This is typical in Latacunga, locally acknowledged as the town’s flagship and most traditional dish. It also is a major source of income for the local economy. The people of Latacunga fully identify with the knowhow and symbolism of this dish. Of all the varied cuisine of the Ecuadorian highlands, chugchucaras is among the most famous and popular, for both local people and outsiders. People flock to Latacunga every weekend to indulge. Latacunga has two dishes that are specific to the town, different from the food of other towns in the Ecuadorian highlands. These are allullas [biscuits made with lard and eggs] and chugchucaras. Both follow set recipes, albeit with slight variations. Chugchucaras, as unique as the tradition of the Mama Negra and its parade, according to researcher Paulo Carvalho Neto (who has studied the traditions and customs of Latacunga), is a compound of the Quechua words chugchuni, meaning “tremble”, and cara, meaning “skin”. There are ten ingredients in Latacunga’s chugchucaras: popcorn, toasted corn, empanadas [pasties], fried plantain, fried potatoes, fried pork, cuero reventado [pork skin], mote [boiled corn] and pork scratchings. The empanadas are sweet, made of wheat flour, cheese and sugar. The dough, made with mineral water boiled with sugar, eggs, baking powder and butter, is kneaded before making the pasties. The pork skin is peeled with boiling water to separate it and the fat is removed. It is hung to dry in the sun for 5 or 6 days, and when properly dried, is placed in a big pan for one hour until it is golden (cuero reventado).
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Tigrillo (scrambled egg and plantain) This is made from mashed plantain, egg and grated cheese, and served for breakfast or in the afternoon, although tourists order it at any time of day. The traditional breakfast is either tigrillo, bol贸n or molido, all made with green bananas and served with locally grown coffee. Tigrillo is the traditional breakfast of the people of Zaruma. The climate in this province is good for growing bananas and coffee, as well as cattle farming. Cattle farming is one of the main livelihoods in this part of the country, so cheese is one of the basic ingredients of local dishes. Tigrillo is a traditional meal combining the main products of the locality.
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Encocao de Pescado (Coconut fish stew) The traditional food of the north of Esmeraldas is based on products from the river banks and in particular the mangrove swamps, the main ones being seafood, bananas, cassava and coconut water. Esmeraldas cookery carries the influences of the black people who arrived on slave boats in the 16th century. These boats coming from Africa also brought coconuts. With the ancestral knowhow of the black population and the climatic and geographical conditions of the green province, these new plants thrived and became central to the creation of new flavours. Coconut water is essential in the preparation of many dishes, either as the main ingredient or as a complement. The combination of coconut with seafood has therefore come to be a hallmark of Esmeraldas cuisine. Encocao (or encocado) can be found in all the cantons of Esmeraldas, in particular Santa Rosa de Borb贸n, where fish encocao is the most popular dish. The ingredients are: coconut, chillangua [tropical herb] achiote [annatto, a red spice], and salt. Coconut is the common denominator in all the variations of encocao in the canton of Eloy Alfaro. The culinary culture of the canton of Rio Verde is based on the sea and rivers, which provide the locals with a wide range of fish and seafood, that are cooked up in different forms of encocao. In Vuelta Larga (in the canton of R铆o Verde), two fundamental innovations have been made in. Ten enterprising people got together to set up a modest restaurant and came up with new versions of traditional dishes, one of which is called cevicangre. The original way of presenting this dish has given it its name. The main ingredient is blue crab, fattened in captivity for 21 days. Cevicangre has four parts: 1) blue crab encocado, 2) ceviche of fish, shrimp, shellfish or clam, 3) rice with patacones [fried plantain] and 4) a drink of cooled coconut water served in the coconut.
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Encebollado (Onion fish soup) The root of this province’s cookery is the Montubio culture, which entails a mixture of native products from the coast, the black culture and Spanish techniques. There are sauces, freshwater fish from the rivers, seafood, cassava and corn. This is how encebollado, a fish soup with cassava and lemon, came into being. The traditional dishes most frequently eaten in Guayaquil are of course related to the local ecology and thus the dishes are based in general on fish, crab and seafood. The most popular are caldo de bagre [catfish soup], seco de bagre [catfish main course], encebollado de pescado [onion and fish soup], ceviches, and cangrejo criollo [crab dish].
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Tapao en ca単a Guadua (Fire-braised fish in bamboo) The recipe for tapao en ca単a guadua is passed down from generation to generation in this province. Some say that the tradition of using bamboo comes from the Asian people who immigrated and settled in Quevedo and used bamboo in their cooking. First, men cut the bamboo when it is green and take out the inside of the cane; then it is divided into short sections called canutos. The river fish is coated with garlic, coriander and salt. Then a sauce is fried up, made with red onion, pepper, tomato, garlic and peanuts. Apart, slices of onion and tomato are placed inside the canutos and, on top, two fish in opposite directions, stuffed with the sauce. The fish are then covered with banana leaves and tied to the bamboo with string. To cook it, the bamboo is taken to a hole in the earth, filled with hot charcoal, and left in a vertical position for about one hour. To serve, it is taken off the bamboo and accompanied with rice.
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Cazuela (Seafood soup) In the central east and the coastal strip of the province, we find dishes made with green bananas and peanuts, as well as those based on seafood. Most of the latter are served with grilled or boiled green bananas or banana chips. Corn and cassava are also part of the local cuisine. Montubio food is typical in this province, with its mixture of cultures and ingredients. Peanuts are used in most recipes, along with salprieta (a mixture of corn and peanuts), which is added to several dishes, including ceviche. Much of the province is given over to cattle farming so exquisite cheeses are also made. Cazuela is a typical ManabĂ dish; it is a seafood soup and also includes green bananas, peanut paste, milk and fresh cheese.
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Seco de Chivo (Goat stew) There are different ways of making this stew. Most of the ingredients are the same but the different preparations lie in the liquid used. Originally chicha de jora (fermented corn drink) was used but this is often replaced nowadays with beer or naranjilla juice. The original recipe is based on young goats but today people often use with mutton instead. The most important thing when preparing seco de chivo is to cook it for a long time at a low temperature so that the meat becomes tender and does not have a harsh taste. Seco de chivo is served with yellow rice accompanied by avocado and maduro [ripe plantain]. In the Andean culture, animals are sacred and there is a special reason for eating one species or another, seeking to achieve harmony between nature and man.
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Bandera The dish representing the town of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas is bandera. It consists of a small serving of shrimp and shellfish ceviche, on top of which fish is added, and this is mixed with the popular tripe preparation, guatita. Everybody is Santo Domingo is familiar with the dish, which is sold particularly in the district of Pupusรก. It seems to have arisen from the mixture of customs and cultures of the population of Santo Domingo, as for years families originating in different parts of the country, and even other countries, have settled here.
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Ceviche de Canchalagua This culinary tradition seems to go back to the beginning of fishing in these islands. Canchalagua is a shore mollusc which is collected among the rocks uncovered when the tide goes out. It is obtained intentionally or incidentally, and is part of the daily catch of local fishermen. They sell part of their catch, while the rest is kept for the household. Canchalagua is revered as it is believed to have very high potency. One traditional way of serving it is as ceviche, which is popular in homes and restaurants, both downmarket and upmarket. The ingredients of the ceviche are: onion, green pepper, tomato, using a third of each, adding a pinch of salt, lemon juice and canchalagua, as fresh as possible. First, the onion, tomato and pepper are finely chopped, and salt is added to taste. The mixture is placed in a bowl along with the canchalagua, which has been previously cleaned, cut into small cubes and marinated in boiled prawn water and lemon juice. (Adding the boiled prawn water is an optional variation to the recipe as in other places it is prepared only with lemon juice.) Another interesting point is that the mollusc does not go brown in the lemon juice. Canchalagua, like other marine biota, is highly prized by both men and women as it is believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac.
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Helado de Paila (Traditional ice-cream) Helados de paila have been a tradition in the town of Ibarra since 1896. These ice creams are made with fruit juice, poured into a brass pan, which is placed on a bed of ice, sea salt and straw (to slow down the melting of the ice). The pan must be previously prepared by boiling it for three days with ash and bitter orange. It is turned as long as necessary to make the juice freeze. Doña Rosalía Suárez is considered a pioneer in making helados de paila in Ibarra. Her family has had this business for five generations. She currently sells her ice creams throughout the country. The name of Rosalía Suárez is known both within national borders and beyond. Helados de paila, as well as from being part of the identity of Ibarra, are a small cottage industry employing several families.
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Cecina The custom of eating pork cuts is a tradition all over the province of Loja, where they are found in every restaurant, from the cheapest to the most expensive. When this esteemed dish is prepared, the pork is cut into very thin slices. Then it is left to dry for two hours over the smoke of a wood stove. Finally it is seasoned with salt and ground garlic in a wooden tray. Different people use different ingredients for the seasoning, which is part of the professional secret. In the past the cured meat was roast over a stone but now it is cooked on a barbecue as the health authorities no longer allow the use of stone. The pork cuts are served with cassava and encebollado [onion side dish].
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Ayampaco This typical dish is a fast and natural leaf-wrapped meal that can be made in 30 minutes. It is almost always made by women although sometimes men prepare it on hunting trips. It is one of the favourite traditional dishes and is still popular today, a dish typically made by wives for their husbands. The leaves used as wrapping can be bijao (punpu), achira (chiannuka) or ampakai. Chicken, fish or beef can be used as fillings. The wrapping is made with three crossed leaves of bijao and achira, in which a portion and a half is placed. First the bijao leaf is placed upside-down. This protects the food as the top side of the leaf has been exposed to the sun. Then comes the achira leaf. These leaves heat more quickly and speed up the cooking. While the ayampaco is being grilled, the women get on with other jobs, always with one eye open to ensure that the food does not end up overcooked or undercooked; there is a perfect point that the Shuar people know. If the ayampaco dries out too much, its flavour changes. You can see when it is ready by opening the leaves a little in the middle. The green leaves will have turned a dark brown and the whole package will be lighter. The taste of the ayampaco comes from the leaves. The wrap is served with banana, cassava, papa china [tuber] and sweet potato, and of course with the ubiquitous ajĂ [chilli sauce] and salt.
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Pincho de cacao blanco o patas muyo (White cacao kebab or patas muyo) White cacao is an endemic plant that grows wild in the Ecuadorian Amazonia. Its seeds are dried and eaten fried or grilled, as a savoury or sweet snack. The Quichua people calls this popular dish patas muyo. White cacao is also used to make patas uchĂş, which is the cacao (patas muyo) with chilli sauce (uchĂş), mixed together to form a paste. This is served with cassava or green banana.
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Maito de Carachama Maito is a typical meal of the indigenous communities of the Amazonia. It is made up of meat wrapped in a turupanga leaf and grilled. Maito is a Quechua word that means "wrap". The main ingredient is the Amazon fish called cachama. Normally the women make this meal every day, grilling it over a low heat. With its good taste and the ease of finding the ingredients, it is very popular with indigenous people and mestizos alike, who have adopted it as a typical dish of the Amazon provinces. Bijao leaves must be found for this meal. This is an Amazon plant with leaves similar to those of the banana.) First the leaves must be sorted before cooking the maito as there are some leaves that burn quickly leaving the cachama only half cooked. So the right leaves must be chosen, thick and wide enough to cover the fish. The best leaves are greenish, long and not very wide. Once the leaves have been chosen, they are used to make a kind of cushion. The fish is seasoned with a little salt. The freshness of the flesh is an important factor in the flavour of the maito. Palm heart and onion can also be added. The preparation is placed on the cushion of bijao leaves, tied up and placed on the embers, when these are ready. The heat must be low as the fish contains liquids and fat that could put the charcoal out. The maito is eaten with cassava, bananas, papa china [tuber], chilli sauce and a glass of chicha [fermented corn drink]. Maito: The leaves are fragrant (from a plant with leaves similar to banana leaves, called bijao). This fragrance permeates the fish. Before cooking, salt is added to the fish, which is wrapped in the bijao leaves and then grilled in the charcoal. Carachaza is a fish that lives in the rivers of the Amazonia and is believed to be a link between modern-day and prehistoric fish. It is part of the traditional food of the Amazon people. PAG
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Locro de papas (Potato and cheese soup) Our ancient locro, whose original name in Quechua is “luqru”, used to be made from squash, kidney beans or corn. It is a traditional potato soup from the province of Pichincha. Soups are central to the diet of Ecuadorian highland dwellers and come from the ancestral custom of boiling food in water. Locro de papas is one of the country’s most traditional soups. It is made from potatoes and cheese. Its name can be altered according to the additional ingredients added. There is thus also locro de cuero [pork skin], or of cheese, quinua, marrow and squash. The potato is a very old tuber native to the Andes. It has various medicinal uses and healing applications. The conquistadores took a great liking to it when they arrived in America, and later it saved many European nations from famine. It is now a key ingredient in many traditional dishes in Europe. Thanks to Ecuador’s biodiversity, there is a huge range of types of potato.
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Casabe (Cassava cake) One important product of Amazon cookery is casabe. This is a kind of cake made with cassava flour toasted until it becomes hard. It keeps for a long time and is considered to be the food of hunters when the latter go into the jungle for several days. Casabe is normally eaten with bocachico (pescado) but can also be served with other dishes. The Cofรกn people see it as the equivalent of wheat bread. It is made in small quantities but must never run out, so it is prepared relatively frequently. It is the women who make it. In the past, the food was served in just one bowl and each member of the family had to take a portion using a slice of the cake as a utensil. Casabe is basic to the daily diet of the Secoya people. It is made from the bitter variety of cassava: yuca amarga. This contains a toxic component. The growing of this crop is considered among the most advanced in Amazon farming. When it is processed, certain techniques are used to eliminate the toxic part and make it fit for human consumption.
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Llapingacho con chorizo y huevo (Potato cakes with sausage meat and eggs) The origin of llapingachos is attributed to the Salasaca indigenous group of the province of Tungurahua. This very original name appears to come from the word “llapingue” meaning “squashed” in Quechua. Potatoes, native tubers of the Andes, were one of the great discoveries of the New World in the early 1500s at the time of the conquest and helped to stave off great famines in the Old Continent. Llapingachos can be served as a side dish with meat. In particular they are used to accompany roast suckling pig or sausage meat, or can be eaten as a free-standing snack, served with a marinade (encurtido) or peanut sauce. This traditional dish in Ecuadorian cuisine is used as an accompaniment or garnish with different dishes, but in Tungurahua it is usually served with Ambato sausage meat, fried egg, lettuce, marinade and avocado. It also eaten with fried or roast pork (fritada or hornado]. Over time llapingacho come to be the name of the whole dish from Ambato, but strictly speaking, word refers only to the potato cake.
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Caldo de novios and guayusa Caldo de novios is a token of thanks to all the guests who have come to a wedding. It was invented by some colonists in the town of Macas and is made of ingredients from the highlands, combined with products of the Amazonia. It has become a tradition to serve this soup at weddings. Guayusa is a native plant of the Ecuadorian Amazon region. It is considered to be a medicinal plant and believed to cure infertility in women as well as being an aphrodisiac. There are known to be over 150 species of this plant. Guayusa made as an infusion can replace coffee. Drinking guayusa and chocolate, women are said to become fertile. It is also given to malnourished children and those who are slow in learning to walk. According to locals, such children "are bathed in a litre of milk and piles of boiled guayusa leaves, so that they grow strong and learn to walk." Guayusa tea with a little alcohol gives women more stamina in childbirth. This tea, mixed with honey, helps women to recovery quickly after giving birth. Guayusa tea mixed with an infusion of zarandaja root [lablab purpureus] also helps women to produce more milk. Other curative powers of guayusa infusions include reducing inflammation and fighting common colds, which even doctors cannot cure. The tea of this aromatic plant is also drunk at meal times. "Guayusa with chonta comes from here, and is mixed with alcohol to celebrate a party. If there is no guayusa, there is no party."
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