Food of Ecuador

Ecuadorian cooking spans three regions: Pacific coast seafood, Andean potatoes and corn, and Amazonian fruits and fish. Plantains, cassava, rice and peanuts are key, and fresh lime, cilantro and aji sauce top almost every dish. Soups are a daily comfort at lunch, while corn and potato snacks fill markets. Fruit juices and coconut drinks are widely enjoyed.

Encebollado
National dish

Encebollado

A Guayaquil tuna soup with yuca, pickled red onion and lime, famous as a morning remedy.

How to make Encebollado

Staples

  • plantain
  • potatoes
  • corn
  • rice
  • fish
  • pork
  • peanuts
  • cassava

Signature flavors

  • cilantro
  • lime
  • aji
  • achiote
  • cumin
  • red onion

Main dishes

Encebollado
Encebollado

A Guayaquil tuna soup with yuca, pickled red onion and lime, famous as a morning remedy.

Key ingredients: tuna, yuca, red onion, tomato, cilantro, lime, cuminFull guide →
Ceviche de camaron
Ceviche de camaron

Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche in a juicy tomato-citrus broth, served with popcorn or plantain chips.

Key ingredients: shrimp, lime, orange juice, red onion, tomato, cilantro
Hornado
Hornado

Slow-roasted pork served with potato cakes and mote corn.

Key ingredients: pork, garlic, cumin, llapingachos, mote
Fritada
Fritada

Fried chunks of pork served with hominy, plantain and toasted corn.

Key ingredients: pork, garlic, cumin, orange, hominy

Breakfast

Tigrillo
Tigrillo

Mashed plantain scrambled with eggs and cheese.

Key ingredients: green plantain, eggs, cheese
Humitas
Humitas

Fresh corn cakes steamed in husks.

Key ingredients: corn, cheese, anise
Empanadas de viento
Empanadas de viento

Light fried cheese turnovers dusted with sugar.

Key ingredients: dough, cheese, sugar

Street food

Salchipapas
Salchipapas

Fries with sliced sausage and sauces.

Key ingredients: fries, sausage, sauces
Choclo con queso

Boiled corn on the cob served with fresh cheese.

Key ingredients: corn, cheese
Papas con cuero

Potatoes cooked with pork skin.

Key ingredients: potato, pork skin, peanut sauce
Tostado

Toasted corn nuts served with ceviche.

Key ingredients: corn, salt

Soups

Locro de papa

A creamy potato and cheese soup served with avocado.

Key ingredients: potatoes, cheese, avocado, milk, achiote
Caldo de bolas

Soup with green plantain dumplings.

Key ingredients: plantain, beef, peanuts
Fanesca
Fanesca

A seasonal soup of many beans and grains with salt cod, shared with family.

Key ingredients: beans, lupini, corn, squash, salt cod, milk, peanuts

Salads

Ensalada de aguacate

Avocado and tomato salad with lime.

Key ingredients: avocado, tomato, lime
Curtido de cebolla

Pickled red onion relish served with fried foods.

Key ingredients: red onion, lime, cilantro

Breads

Pan de yuca

Cheesy cassava bread.

Key ingredients: cassava starch, cheese, eggs

Desserts and sweets

Helado de paila
Helado de paila

Ice cream hand-churned in a copper pan with fruit.

Key ingredients: fruit juice, ice, sugar
Quimbolito

A soft steamed cornmeal cake in achira leaf.

Key ingredients: cornmeal, butter, raisins, eggs
Dulce de higos

Figs in syrup eaten with fresh cheese.

Key ingredients: figs, panela, cheese
Arroz con leche

Rice pudding.

Key ingredients: rice, milk, cinnamon

Drinks

Colada morada
Colada morada

A warm spiced purple fruit and corn drink.

Key ingredients: purple corn, berries, pineapple, cinnamon, cloves
Jugo de naranjilla

Naranjilla juice, tangy and bright green.

Key ingredients: naranjilla, sugar, water
Morocho

A thick sweet corn and milk drink.

Key ingredients: white corn, milk, cinnamon, sugar

Fruits and produce

Naranjilla
Naranjilla

Citrus-tasting small orange fruit.

Key ingredients: juice, jam
Banana
Banana

Ecuador is a top exporter.

Key ingredients: fresh, bread, chips
Plantain
Plantain

Green and ripe for cooking.

Key ingredients: patacones, bolones
Babaco
Babaco

Papaya relative with a pineapple-strawberry taste.

Key ingredients: juice, fresh
Cacao
Cacao

Fine aroma cacao.

Key ingredients: chocolate, drinks

Dish guides from Ecuador

Banana
BananaFruits
Encebollado
EncebolladoSoups
Explore Ecuador on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of South America

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Semifinal del Campeonato del Encebollado en Esmeraldas 2015 (18062294436): Ministerio de Turismo Ecuador from Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cebiche de corvina: Picanteria karol, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Hornado: calliopejen, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • CUENCA - CIUDAD - GENTE - GASTRONOMÍA (18136357868): Agencia de Noticias ANDES, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Snethlage's Tigrina imported from iNaturalist photo 354017009 on 2 August 2024 (cropped): (c) Thomaz de Carvalho Callado, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Humitas: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Tapa de empanadillitas: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Lima salchipapas: Jorge G. Mori, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • SEMANA SANTA QUITEÑA (33852581341): Agencia de Noticias ANDES, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Quito, helado de paila, street food, ice cream: David Adam Kess, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Colada morada: Juan Jorge Arellano Lima, Perú, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Lulo: Picture taken by Fibonacci., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mega racimos de guineos: J & E, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Lámud, 2023 (05): Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Matadecacao: Luisovalles, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)