Ecuador Food and Drink

Food in Ecuador is diverse and plentiful, thanks to the land's varied climate and vegatation. The country boasts a wonderful selection of exotic fruits, which are typically savored by drinking delicious and cheap jugos, or fruit juices. Traditional food in Ecuador centers around their wide varieties of potatoes, corn and fruit. Chicken and pork are popular meat options and are typically served with a heaping mound of rice, beans, potatoes and/or patacones, which are fried and mashed plantains. Most lunches and dinners in Ecuador start with a hot bowl of Ecuador's savory specialty: soup. From basic to bizarre, Ecuadorian soup is deliciously diverse.

Seafood in Ecuador is rich and plentiful, but is at its most fresh and flavorful along the coast. The Amazon also has fresh and high-quality freshwater fish, typically served alongside the Amazonian staple, yuca (a manioc similar to yam).

Vegetarian travelers will be pleasantly surprised by the wide selection of vegetarian food options in popular tourist destinations like Quito and Baños. However, in small towns you will often be stuck eating some combination of rice, oily salads, and eggs.

If you've had your fill of local fare, you can find international cuisine in most tourist towns. Chinese, Indian and Mexican restaurants are popular in many towns.

Ecuadorian drinks include a variety of delicious and cheap jugos, chicha (an Andean specialty) and canelazo, a sweet hot alcoholic drink made from cane alcohol and sugar or cinnamon.