Some of the traditional holiday food in Ecuador as well as some snacks that I have yet to write about:
Relleno: Sweet and sevory holiday turkey stuffing made with ground meat, chorizo (sausage), bacon, apple, raisins, olives, walnuts, bread crumbs, herbs and more. We had this both at Christmas dinner and New Year's Eve dinner.
Guaguas de pan y Colada morada: These are two very traditional Ecuadorian dishes made to celebrate the Dia de los Difuntos or Day of the Deceased. The bread figures, sometimes considered bread babies, are sweet bread figures, shaped like babies or dolls, that are decorated with bright frosting as part of the holiday. The Colada Morada is a drink made with fruits like dates and grapes, peaches, and apricots, spices, and purple corn flour- the drink is purple. The fruit is only somewhat blended, so I do not advise trying to drink this in a car as there are often big chunks of fruit that make it difficult to drink and could cause a mess. I speak from experience...
Pavo horneado: Roasted turkey. This is what we had for Christmas dinner and it was delish!
Batidos: Batidos are blended drinks (similar to smoothies) made with fruit, milk (or water- I prefer milk), ice, and added sugar. I love the mango batidos, but you can pretty much get them in whatever fruilt flavor you want.
Naranjilla ice cream: Another Ecuadorian favorite, something we don't have where I am from, are naranjilla flavored batidos and ice cream. Naranjilla (solanum quitoense) is a subtropical perennial plant from northwestern South America. It is kind of like an orange, but isn't. I don't really know how to describe this one... but it's one of my favorite homemade ice cream flavors here. I am going to miss a lot of the fruit options here in Ecuador like the naranjilla.
Maduro con queso: Fried plantain with cheese. YUM!
Lomo: The Spanish word for tenderloin. Therefore, pork tenderloin is know as lomo de cerdo, whereas beef tenderloin is just called lomo. They have a lot of lomo here.
Menudo: A traditional Ecuadorian (and Mexican) soup, usually spicy, made with tripe (intestines of cow, pig, sheep), thought of as a cure for a hangover (which is why they typically serve it on Sunday). I am not a fan of this one... ick.
Seco de pollo o carne: Chicken or beef stew cooked slowly in a sauce of beer, onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and spices. The meal with carne often includes menestra (beans) and rice.
Chaulafan de pollo: Ecuadorian chicken fried rice made with rice, chicken, bacon, onions, garlic, peppers, bell peppers, peas, carrots, scrambles eggs, raisins, spices and herbs. This stuff is good.
Mayonesa casera: You can buy it in the store, but this type of homemade mayonnaise is even better. Egg, cumin, onion, salt, sunflower oil and lemon juice should do it.
Salsa de queso con cilantro: Cheese and cilantro sauce. It is popular on meat, corn, plantain chips, and mexican food.
Salsa de mani: This isn't peanut butter, rather a warm peanut sauce made with peanut butter, milk, onion, cumin, achiote, cilantro and hard-boiled egg. It is popular on potato patties.
Salsa rosada: Also known as salsa golf, is a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup. It is the best on the street vendor's salchipapas.
Huevos chilenos: The translation means Chilean eggs but they are really Ecuadorian mini-donuts. They are orange corn balls, deep fried, and sugared. These are seriously my favorite!
Hominy o Mote: Dried maize kernels which have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization. It's a type of corn.
Mote pillo: Mote pillo consists of hominy sauteed with onions, garlic, achiote, eggs, milk, chives and cilantro or parsley and normally served with hot black coffee and slices of fresh cheese.
Humitas: Savory steamed corn cakes made froma mixture of freshly ground corn, onion, garlic, cheese, eggs, and cream, which is placed inside corn husks and steamed.
Majado de verde o Tigrillo: A plantain mash made with green plantains, onrions, garlic, and achiote, fried eggs and cheese. This is delicious, one of my favorites when we go to the cafe for dinner.
Carne en palito o Pinchos de res: Thin pieces of meat seasoned with garlic, achiote and cumin and grilled on skewers. If you haven't noticed, onion and garlic are a big seasonings here.
Choclo asado con salsa de queso: Grilled corn with the salsa de queso sauce.
Ensalada rusa: A classic salad and side dish made with potatoes, carrots, peas, apples, celery, onion, and mayonnaise. It's like part fruit salad, part potato salad.
Pan de yuca: Cheese breads that melt in your mouth, typically served warm. Made with cheese and yuca or cassava starch. Usually accompanied with yogurt.
Salchipapas: A typical South American snack food sold on the street- french fries with fried hot dog sausages.
Tostada: A grilled jam and cheese. Seriosly, the best sandwiches ever.
Llapingachos: Potato patties or pancakes stuffed with cheese, cooked on a griddle until crispy brown and served with the salsa de mani, and sometimes fried egg, tomato, and onion curtido, avocado slices and hot sauce.
Llapingachos de mote: Corn patties stuffed with pork or cheese, cooked on the griddle, served with the peanut sauce, and sometimes with pickled red onions and aji criollo hot sauce.
Morocho: A thick, spiced corn pudding made with morocho cracked corn, milk, cinnamon, and sugar.
