Ecuador

A raw, freshly blended Ecuadorian table condiment of fresh ají peppers, tomato, white onion, and cilantro, thinned with water to a pourable consistency and served alongside virtually every Ecuadorian meal.

A fist-sized ball of hand-mashed green plantain stuffed with cheese, chicharrón, or both, then griddled or shallow-fried until a taut, golden crust forms on the outside.

A slow-simmered Andean feast soup built on a free-range mature hen whose prolonged cooking yields a deep golden, collagen-rich broth served with the bird's pieces, starchy vegetables, and fresh herbs.

A rich Ecuadorian Andean broth made from long-simmered cow feet, thickened with ground peanuts and finished with milk, served over mote (hominy), and eaten as a fortifying morning meal.

An Ecuadorian seafood dish of pre-cooked shrimp bathed in a bright tomato-citrus sauce with macerated red onion and cilantro, served cold alongside chifles and canguil.

A thick, hot, deeply purple Ecuadorian ceremonial drink made by simmering purple corn flour with dark native fruits and an aromatic spice blend — served exclusively on Día de los Difuntos (November 2) alongside guaguas de pan.

A hearty Ecuadorian soup of poached fresh albacore tuna and boiled yuca in a cumin-scented tomato-cilantro broth, finished tableside with a sharp pickled red-onion and tomate-riñón curtido.

Encocado de Pescado is a traditional Ecuadorian coastal fish stew in which white fish is braised in coconut milk with ají chili and coriander.

A ceremonially thick Ecuadorian Holy Week stew built on a zapallo-and-milk base enriched with ground peanuts, carrying desalted bacalao and exactly twelve distinct grains and legumes, each representing one of the Twelve Apostles.

An Ecuadorian feast dish of bone-in pork simmered in seasoned water until the liquid evaporates and the meat self-fries in its own rendered fat, producing simultaneously tender interior and crackling-crisp exterior.

Guatita is a thick Ecuadorian stew of cleaned tripe simmered in a creamy peanut‑potato sauce seasoned with ají peppers, served as a hearty main dish.

An Ecuadorian whole pig slow-roasted in a wood-fired oven after being seasoned with achiote, garlic, and cumin, traditionally carved and sold at markets.

Pan-fried Andean potato-and-cheese cakes, golden-crusted outside and soft within, served as a plated main with peanut sauce, chorizo, fried egg, avocado, and curtido.

A thick, rustic Andean potato soup built on a sofrito of achiote-stained onion and cumin, self-thickened by the collapse of starchy yellow potatoes simmered in milk-enriched broth, and finished at table with crumbled white cheese, ripe avocado, and ají.

An Ecuadorian sweet steamed cake of corn or masa flour, butter, and cheese, scented with anise and steamed wrapped in achira (canna) leaves.

An Ecuadorian (and broadly Andean) braise of lamb cooked slowly with beer, naranjilla, and an abundance of cilantro into a fragrant green-tinged stew.

Seco de Pollo is an Ecuadorean chicken stew braised with chicha, tomatoes, cilantro, and ají peppers, traditionally served with rice and sliced avocado.

An Andean comfort soup of quinoa simmered with potato and vegetables, finished with fresh white cheese, that is a staple highland everyday meal.

An Ecuadorian breakfast of mashed fried green plantain scrambled with eggs, cheese, and crackling pork (chicharrón).