the EAT ECUADOR food series

Breaking Down the Gastronomy of Ecuador

The Best of Food & Drink in Quito, Ecuador

50 recommendations from local specialties to the classics you love (like beer and pizza!)

1) Move to Ecuador.
2) Learn everything I can about its cuisine.
3) Share it with you right here.

After living in China for 3 years and learning SO MUCH about one of the world’s oldest and most complex cuisine, I’m heading for the equator and moving to Ecuador.

Why Ecuador? Well, it has a diverse landscape – from mountains, to jungles, to the sea. Because it lies on the equator, in many ways it’s the centre of the earth.

Things like to grow here. When it comes to the total number of plant species grown in a country, Ecuador is #9 in the world. Ninth doesn’t sound that impressive, but every country above it covers much more area than Ecuador’s 283,560 km² (from 3 times larger to 34 times its size).

The variety of fruits and vegetables in the country is awesome. Just going to the market you’ll see stacks of produce, several types of bananas, a whole section devoted to the various species of potatoes, and many odd looking plants that you have never seen before. It’s like a painting of a bowl of fruit done by Jackson Pollock.

Ecuadorians love their meat. You can get really good quality chicken, pork, and beef, but they also have amazing fish and shellfish. Grab a bowl of ceviche and you’ll see.

We can’t not mention two of my favorites: chocolate and coffee. Ecuador is the seventh largest producer of cacao, and one of only 15 countries in the world that grows and exports both Arabica and Robusta coffee.

Join me in exploring the colorful, complex, and always delicious cuisine of Ecuador.

The series will be available on my YouTube channel here: Eat Ecuador: Deconstructing Ecuadorian Cuisine.
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