7 Must-Try Dishes: Traditional Food in Ecuador

Traditional food in Ecuador is delicious and sure to be a highlight of your trip. In this post, we’ll talk about 7 must-try dishes that will whet your appetite.

7 Must Try Dishes: Traditional Food in Ecuador

Among the traditional food in Ecuador, you’ll find some food that is eaten throughout Latin America but it may have a different twist either in preparation or flavor. Trying traditional food is a great way to experience part of Ecuadorian culture.

The food in Ecuador is flavorful but not “spicy hot”. There is often a small serving of hot sauce that comes with the meal if you want to add some heat. Something I love about Ecuadorian food is the use of cilantro in some of the dishes.

This post is about some of the main courses you’ll come across as you travel the country.

Side dishes often include:

• rice
• avocado (a few slices of creamy ripe avocado)
• llapingachos (fried potato cakes stuffed with cheese)
• fried plantain with cheese
• patacones (fried green (unripe) plantain patties)
• tostado (crunchy roasted corn kernels)
• mote (large kernels of boiled corn)
• chifles (crunchy plantain chips)
• popcorn

Let’s take a look at 7 traditional main courses in Ecuador:

1. Encebollado

Encebollado de pescado is the first on this list and is one of my personal favorites. This is seafood (usually tuna) soup with pickled red onion, boiled yuca, tomato, cilantro and often a squeeze of lime juice.

This is a popular dish on the coast but you can also find it in the Andes region.

This delicious Ecuador traditional soup is served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s usually served with some tostado (crunchy roasted corn kernels) and popcorn sprinkled on top, and some chifles (crunchy plantain chips) on the side.

2. Churrasco

When served in Ecuador, churrasco is a grilled steak usually seasoned with garlic, oregano, cumin, and olive oil. It’s usually served with rice, a few slices of avocado, fries, fried plantains, and a fried egg. This is usually a large meal.

3. Seco de Chivo

Seco is a popular dish served all over the country. It is a stewed meat dish and comes in a number of options including chicken (seco de pollo) beef (seco de carne) and goat (seco de chivo).

The seco de chivo is my favorite because of its unique flavor. The ingredients in the stew include onions, oregano, cilantro, panela (cane sugar), naranjilla (a fruit with a citrus flavor similar to a lemon mixed with a pineapple ), beer, tomatoes, cumin, and garlic.

A seco meal is usually served with rice, a few avocado slices, a small side garden salad, and some fried ripe plantains. This is a delicious and filling meal.

4. Empanadas

Empanadas are a beloved traditional food in Ecuador and are enjoyed all over the country. They are eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and can be served as a snack, an appetizer, a main course or as dessert.

An empanada is like a little pie which is usually made with wheat flour. The dough can also be made from mashed green plantain or corn flour. The dough is formed into little balls which are rolled out into flat circles. The filling of choice which can be either savory or sweet (meat, fruit, cheese…) is placed in the center and the dough is folded over and pinched forming a pocket around the filling. The empanada is then fried or baked and eaten as is, or served with a dipping sauce.

The cheese-filled empanada is my favorite. It’s served warm and has sugar sprinkled on the top – so good.

5. Hornado

This is a famous Ecuadorian food. You’ve probably seen the pictures (like the one above) of an entire pig being roasted outside a restaurant, that’s hornado. It’s a dish of slow roasted pork with crispy skin.

Hornado is a delicious and well-loved dish especially in the Sierra (Andes) but can be found all over the country. It’s usually served with llapingachos (fried potato cakes stuffed with cheese), mote (large kernels of boiled corn), potatoes and other vegetables.

6. Cuy

Like hornado, cuy is another attention grabber. It’s a favorite among photographers and bloggers.

Cuy or roasted guinea-pig is a traditional Ecuadorian food usually served at special events or celebrations. This is a very popular dish in the Sierra (especially Cuenca) but can be found all over the country.

The meat is rich (like duck) and may be seasoned with garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cuy is often served whole with sides of potatoes, a few slices of avocado, perhaps some mote (large kernels of boiled corn) and a few fresh vegetables (tomato) or a small salad.

Because cuy is a rich meat a whole serving may be too much unless you have a large appetite, you can also get it cut into smaller portions. Perhaps a quarter of a cuy with the side dishes would be preferable for those with an average appetite.

7. Ceviche

Ceviche is a seafood dish which you’ll find on the coast and on many restaurant menus in the Sierra. Traditional ceviche in Ecuador is a little different than in some other areas because the seafood is cooked before it’s served. It’s made with red onion, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, and garlic.

Ceviche can be made with different kinds of seafood, some popular options are shrimp, langostino (kind of a cross between shrimp and lobster meat), corvina (a kind of seabass), oysters and octopus. But ceviche can be made without meat, and even with fruit like mango.

Seafood ceviche is usually served with chifles (crunchy plantain chips), tostado (crunchy roasted corn kernels), popcorn or patacones (fried green, unripe plantain patties).

Traditional Food in Ecuador and You

Is your mouth watering now? I know mine is. Which of these foods are on your culinary bucket list?

Whether you’re traveling the Galapagos or exploring nature and wildlife on the mainland you’re sure to find some traditional food to your liking. So you have something sweeter in mind? Read more about Ecuador desserts.

Have you experienced Ecuadorian cuisine, what did you think? Please share your thoughts by commenting on this post.