Lewis enjoys the Ecuadorian food

A restaurant called ‘The very tasty Equatorian’

The first thing that Lewis had noticed when he drove over the border and into Ecuador was the more tropical climate and with that he seemed to pass lots and lots of banana trees. Or were they?

Banana plantations grow by the roadside

Lewis soon discovered another vegetable that was popular in Ecuadorian looked just like a banana called plantain. He realised that on the whole, Ecuadorian food wasn’t so different from other South American countries, e.g. most meals contained some sort of meat or fish and were accompanied by rice and salad. But the difference was that here often the savoury plantain was also served with it. You could also just buy portions of chifles – fried plantains which was a popular alternative snack to buying chips.

Lewis with his packet of Chifles -fried plantain

Heading further north in South America, Lewis the Lion noticed the Mexican influence on the Ecuadorian food as it was often a bit spicier with chilies and again, avocado was a popular ingredient here. There was also a clear European influence due to the history of the Spanish conquest as you can see in this cafe menu.

A typical Ecuadorian cafe bar menu

And Lewis the Lion was surprised to find that the ice-cream company Walls in the UK was called ‘Pinguino’ or ‘Penguin’ in Ecuador. He preferred the Ecuadorian name!

The ice-cream company is called Pinguino – Penguin!

Due to its warmer climate, there were many fruit juice stalls selling exotic fruit juices from big vats. You’d be given a ladle in a cup of whichever one you chose, e.g. Pineapple, mango, strawberry, papaya, etc.

There’s lots of fresh fruit everywhere

Other South American favourites could be found, e.g. empanadas.

One evening in Guayaquil, Lewis the Lion couldn’t believe the hustle and bustle along a strip where there were about a dozen restaurants all selling the seafood speciality: crab. It seemed like a very social thing to do with friends as a big bowl of curried crab with potatoes was placed in the middle of the table and each diner was given a chopping board and a wooden mallet with which to crack open the crab meat. Delicious!

Crab is a popular option in coastal towns like Guayaquil

Lewis the Lion thoroughly endulged in Ecuadorian food too when he was in the Galapagos Islands on board the cruise ship. There was such a wide choice of all food imaginable and particularly of fruits and vegetables.

Lewis likes this Ecuadorian menu as it is written in Spanish and English

Another delicious Ecuadorian side dish is called ‘llapingachos’ which is fried potatoes with cheese in the middle. You can see it mentioned on this traditional menu, along with some other Ecuadorian favourites (including ‘cuy’ – guinea pig and ‘cebiche’ – ceviche which Lewis the Lion had already tried out in Peru. Being neighbouring countries, it was obvious that some dishes crossed the borders).

Finally, Lewis the Lion discovered that Ecuador is also world famous for its coffee and cocoa beans. He could eat some of the tastiest chocolate in the world here, particularly the dark chocolate.

Ecuadorian chocolate

He wasn’t too fussed by the coffee but Helen certainly enjoyed it for him!

Here Lewis the Lion is with some of the traditional stalls selling snacks in the coach station. One of the snacks he tried was like a jellied-papaya. Very sweet and filling!

Traditional kiosks at Ecuadorian bus stations

If you were going to Ecuador for the first time, what food or drink do you think you’d like to try? Why?

About Helen Molloy

Helen Molloy has been a Primary Learning and Teaching Consultant, leading on the introduction of Primary Languages in the City of Stoke-on-Trent for the past 5 and a half years. She is passionate about language learning and inspiring children into developing a curiosity and awareness of other people's languages and cultures.
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