DID YOU KNOW?

Each region and town has its typical dishes, and if you are hungry, always choose the soup – Ecuadorians make them hearty. Today’s chefs are fusing local ingredients and modern trends for an adventurous new cuisine. One crop, though, has pioneered international fame: cacao. Several cacao brands have outlets offering tastings of the three regional varieties: El Oro, Los Ríos and Manabí. Tren Ecuador even has a Tren de la Dulzura Plus, which calls at a cacao estate.