Excelencias from the Caribbean & the Americas
Gastronomy in the Middle of the World
THE INFLUENCES OF THE INCAS, THE SPANIARDS AND THE NEIGHBORING NATIONS HAVE GIVEN RISE TO AN ATTRACTIVE FOOD SYNCRETISM IN THIS SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY, WHOSE CAPITAL HOSTED THE PRESENTATION OF THE ECUDORIAN GASTRONOMY ACADEMY BEFORE THE COUNTRY'S MINISTRY OF TOURISM
Ecuador has also opted for gastronomy, not only because it presupposes being a construct of its identity, but also because it consolidates its promising hospitality industry.
Disregarding the plurality of its landscape and the multicultural nature of such a notorious social context within the Latin American sphere would be a sheer waste. Its diverse geography determined by its natural regions – i.e.; coast, mountains, east and islands of the Galapagos– and by the variety of climates that compose it, facilitates the existence of innumerable edible genera of flora and fauna.
Added to this is this interesting inven
Intrinsic singularities, as similarities with the context to which it belongs, characterize the gastronomic emblems of this part of the world.
tory of raw materials to develop its own gastronomy, the inter-ethnic communion of the original inhabitants of the region with foreign groups. Progressively, the influences of the Incas, the Spaniards and the neighboring nations, gave rise to an attractive food syncretism; all of which contributed to the formation of a definitive “criollization” in the acts of eating and drinking, recognizing its typical character.
Intrinsic singularities, as similarities with the context to which it belongs, characterize the gastronomic emblems of this part of the world. On the one hand, native dishes stand out: the encebollado, a fish broth - usually albacore or tuna typical of the Ecuadorian coast to which cassava, onion, fresh tomato, chili pepper and other species are added; or the fanesca, a traditional soup of dried fish to which tender beans are added, and that is usually made during Lent, since the twelve types of grains that compose it represent the Catholic apostles and the tribes of Israel, while the cod represents Jesus Christ. Also noted are the encocado de camarones, seasoned with lemon and spices and then cooked in cilantro sauce, onion, tomatoes, coconut milk and peppers, served with rice; and the pork fritada, served with llapingachos, boiled potatoes, corn, green plantain, pickles, onions and tomatoes.
Among the most representative desserts is the come y bebe, very similar to a fresh fruit salad, consisting of bananas, papaya, pineapple, mango and others, which is accompanied with orange juice and to which you can add sugar or honey, rum, cachaça or eau-de-vieu, making it a cocktail, the reason why it has that curious name.
And for drinks, you can enjoy the socalled puntas, very popular in the Ecuadorian highlands, with an alcohol content of 30% to 60%, obtained from the distillation of sugarcane juice; as well as the morocho, a type of sweet drink, made from a type of corn with the same name, milk, cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
However, the identity signs of Latin American cuisine are also present in
Ecuador. Thus, in the widest part of the planet is the cuy, a small rodent that has regained its popularity on the tables of South America, fried or roasted, of very healthy and nutritious meat. There are also the various compositions based on bananas, boiled or fried; the empanadillas, a sort of flagship dish of the kitchen coming from Spain, present in almost the whole of the New World; the dissimilar elaborations based on the very South American corn, potatoes, cocoa and chili; the locro, a soup adaptable to what each portion of arable land, seas or rivers can contribute. And, to brighten the spirit, from Mesoamerica and the Caribbean, to the Andes, you can choose a refreshing chicha or a canelazo.