Ready to Eat?

Ecuadorian children head to school quite early in the morning and are usually out the door by 6:30 a.m. (even the little ones!) so breakfast often includes fresh bread and batidos (fruit smoothies). Families gather around the table for the big meal of the day which is served between 1 and 3 p.m. Most people don't work during this two-hour window, and almost every shop and store is closed. Ecuadorians don't eat dinner as in western culture; rather, they partake of "merienda" (snack). Merienda is usually eaten later in the evening and can consist of a variety of foods such as fried rice, sandwiches or fresh bread and coffee or tea.

This dish of roasted cuy (guinea pig) is considered a special dish. It is often served on a bed of lettuce with avocado and tomato, potatoes, toasted corn and fried plantains. We have eaten this dish several times and can attest that it is quite tasty (although it's not our favorite!).


A trip to the market will take you past many stalls where aromas from delicious foods will greet you. Here you can see a very common meal being prepared: yapingachos -- potato and cheese pancakes, and chorizo -- mild sausage. This will often be served on a plate of rice and topped with a fried egg.


Ceviche is a very popular and inexpensive dish common to the coast. We took a picture of this delicious shrimp ceviche before devouring it. It had jumbo shrimp with chunks of fresh tomato and onion. The word ceviche actually refers to the lime-based marinade; here in the mountain region they serve ceviche de chocho (a white bean).