ExploFood · South America
What to eat in Ecuador
Five dishes to try in Ecuador, the most typical first.
Five dishes to try in Ecuador
Encebollado
Tuna and cassava soup topped with pickled red onion.
How to have it: A coastal morning dish and hangover cure; add lime, chilli and popcorn or plantain chips.
Ceviche de camarón
Shrimp in lime and tomato juice, served soupy with popcorn and plantain chips.
How to have it: Ecuador's ceviche is saucier than Peru's; order at cevicherías in Guayaquil or Manta at lunch.
Llapingachos
Cheese-filled potato patties with peanut sauce, chorizo, avocado and a fried egg.
How to have it: A highland plate; markets in Ambato, Riobamba and Quito serve it at lunch.
Hornado
Whole roast pork from the highlands, served with mote corn and potato patties.
How to have it: Eat it at market food halls in Quito or Riobamba; ask for a piece of the crackling.
Fanesca
Thick soup of squash, beans, grains and salt cod, topped with egg and cheese.
How to have it: Only served in the days before Easter; Quito restaurants advertise it during Holy Week.
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Questions
What food is Ecuador famous for?
Encebollado (tuna and cassava soup topped with pickled red onion) comes first on our list, followed by Ceviche de camarón, Llapingachos, Hornado and Fanesca.
What is the national dish of Ecuador?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Ecuador is Encebollado: tuna and cassava soup topped with pickled red onion. A coastal morning dish and hangover cure; add lime, chilli and popcorn or plantain chips.
Which dishes in Ecuador are vegetarian?
None of the five dishes on this page is vegetarian as usually made. Ask locally: many places have meat-free versions.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Ecuador
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.