Ecuadorian Food: The 10 Best Local Dishes to Try

By The Culture-ist

• Churrasco

  By The Culture-ist

  A grilled steak dish, thin slices are marinated in chimichurri sauce and served with fried egg, rice, plantains, french fries, avocado, salad and hot sauce.

• Ceviche

  By The Culture-ist

  A typical coastal dish, consisting of a mix of seafood (white fish, shrimp, crab, clams, squid, calamari) marinated in citric juices (lemon or lime).

• Empanadas

  By The Culture-ist

  These stuffed pastries (baked or fried) are appropriate for any mealtime. Fillings vary and can consist of plantain, cheese, beef, shrimp, rice, peas and sugar.

• Fanesca

  By The Culture-ist

  A traditional soup served at  Eastertime, Fanesca contains bacalao (salted codfish) cooked in milk, figleaf gourd, pumpkin, hard boiled eggs, plantains and different kinds of beans and grains.

• Encocado de Camarones

  By The Culture-ist

  A seafood dish with shrimp coated in coconut milk sauce and served with rice on the side.

• Encebollado

  By The Culture-ist

  A popular dish on the coast, this fish stew contains marinaded chunks of fish (commonly tuna), boiled cassava, pickled red onion rings, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and various regional spices.

• Llapingachos

  By The Culture-ist

  Best known and beloved, these cheese-filled fried potato patties are served alongside fried egg, cheese and avocado. They accompany many Ecuadorian meat dishes.

• Seco de Pollo

  By The Culture-ist

  Chicken stew with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, chicha and spice, this dish is paired with yellow rice and sweet fried plantains.

• Patacones

  By The Culture-ist

  Patacones, also known as tostones, are crisp, fried green plantain slices. They are a favoured side dish in Latin America.

• Cuy

  By The Culture-ist

  Guinea pigs are a signature delicacy in Ecuador. The rodent can be fried, baked, roasted, stewed and spiced. Devouring everything from paws to the brain, eating Cuy is a rite of passage.