Food+and+Cuisine+Customs

 __ Food and Cuisine Customs

__ Reynolds 1

__Diversity of Food: __   The food and cuisine of Ecuador is very diverse. The type of food is not only delicious, but it also varies between regions. The four main regions of the country include the Sierra (highlands), the Coast,  the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands. Each zone has similar types of food, but is special in its own way.  In the highlands of Ecuador, it might come as a surprise that the main dish is Cuy. This bizarre dish is actually the national dish of Ecuador (4) ! You can spot this delicacy not only on plates at dinner, but also just roasting in the street at the market. Another favorite meat in the highlands is Hornado (4). This can also be seen roasting in the streets of most market places. People who live in the highlands also eat main dishes such as: Fritata, LlapingAchos, Tamales, Ponche__,__ and Colada Morada (6). It is said that the natives in Ecuador undoubtedly think that the Coast of Ecuador consistently has the best food (3). On the coast, as it would make sense, the main food is Seafood. A classic dish on the coast is Ceviche__.__ People who live or visit the coast of Ecuador eat at beach side, shack-like restaurants. A few good cities to find good restaurants like these are Manta and Atacames (3). Both are kind of near the capitol of Quito. Some main dishes are En Cebollado and Bolon de Verde(6).  The Amazon food is not very prominent in the country, but it is definitely different. Some of the main dishes are Ayampaco, Guanta, and Pollo Ishpingo(4). The people who live in the region make food of what they can because of the dense forest and the many rivers and water sources. Below is a picture of one of the parts of the Amazon (or Oriente as they call it) of Ecuador. The food of the Galapagos Islands is pretty much the same as the rest of the food in Ecuador (6). It is most like the food on the Coast mainly because it is an island and mainly serves seafood. Below is a picture of a part of the beach on the Galapagos Islands.  __ Typical Daily Meals: __ Ecuadorians normally eat three meals a day. The first meal is a very light one and the next two are heavier (2). The people of Ecuador normally eat most of their meals as a family, but it is not uncommon for the father to skip the mid-day meal (1). A very common breakfast snack is an Empanada. Breakfast can also consist of a white bread roll with white cheese, juice, coffee and sometimes an egg. Usually breakfast is just eaten quickly by yourself (1). Lunch is typically the biggest meal of the day. However, it is the least expensive because lunch is normally eaten at restaurants. Most restaurants prepare for the massive amounts of people that come for lunch and so they usually serve in bulk (2). Lunch normally consists of three courses. These courses are usually a bowl of a soup, the main meal, a salad or vegetables, and a dessert. The main meal always has rice in it and is sometimes served with beef stew (1). Dinner is similar to the lunchtime meal. However, dinner is sometimes considered the most important meal. It is considered a social event and business is never discussed during this time. If someone has guests over for dinner, the actual meal may not even start until eleven at night or midnight! It is considered very rude if the guest leaves right after dinner (2). You are expected to stay for a while and talk. The dinner can be lighter then lunch sometimes because most Ecuadorians work at night. Middle to upper class families have a maid who prepares all of the meals for them (1). __ Typical Foods: __ <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Ecuadorians typically eat mild food with touches of aji. Meals almost always include starchy foods (1). These can consist of Plantains or Platanos, but it can also be potatoes. The most popular starchy foods are the ones that are deep fried. Chifles are a favorite snack in Ecuador and are eaten a lot (6). The people of the country eat rice and potatoes with almost every meal; they are staples in the Ecuadorian diet (4). White rice is usually served plain so it can be mixed with the other foods on the plate. They use cilantro in many of their foods, which is a type of spice almost like parsley (1). Some traditional dishes include humitas, empanadas, choclos. Popular meat dishes are Lechon and Cuy (6). <span style="COLOR: #ebec0e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="COLOR: #ebec0e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #aa2ac7"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">__ Important Restaurants: __ <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> There are many important and delicious restaurants in Quito (the capital of Ecuador). First, El Maple is a cozy restaurant that serves free internet surfing with your meal. It serves a variety of vegetarian meals and has some international food (5). Next is La Querencia. This restaurant marries the two most important aspects of a great dining experience – excellent food and wonderful ambiance. It includes outdoor dining and has business casual dress. This restaurant has typical Ecuadorian cuisine (5). Third is La Vina. This is a more upscale restaurant and is loved because of its great food and convenient location. La Vina also serves Ecuadorian Cuisine (5). Last but not least is II Grill. If you’re looking for international food in Ecuador this is a good place to go. The dress is business casual and serves anything from pizza to lobster to Italian food to steaks (5).

1. Foley, Erin, and Leslie Jermyn. __Ecuador____: Cultures of the World__. 2nd. South Carolina: BetterWorldBooks, 2007 2. "Food of Ecuador." __Language Crossing__ (2003) 03 May 2008 < [|http://www.languagecrossing.com/Destinations/Ecuador/Food_of_Ecuador/>] ;. 3. "Manta Ecuador." (1996) 03 May 2008 < [|http://www.ecuadors.org/manta/>]  ;. 4. Palmerlee, Danny. "Ecuador Cuisine." __Lonely Planet Publications__ (2008) 03 May 2008 < [|http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelstories/article/ecuador_cuisine_0408/>] ;. 5. "Quito Best Restaurants." __10Best Inc.__ (2008) 03 May 2008 < http://www.10best.com/Quito/Restaurants/Best_Restaurants/index.html#BID79567> ;. 6. "Sierra and Coast Foods." (2004) 03 May 2008 <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"> <[|http://www.ecuadortravelsite.com/food/typical.html>];.