Have you ever eaten prickly pear (genus opuntia) cactus fruit? I never knew cactus plants produced edible fruit until we moved to Ecuador. The only cactus plants I had ever seen in Canada were in little pots, growing indoors. When researching this post I found out that some prickly pear cactus do grow in Canada,…
One of the cultural dishes you’ll find on most menus in Ecuador is the seco. Have you tried it? I’ve tried a few different kinds, and I like them all. What’s a Seco? Seco de Pollo, Carne, Chivo… A seco is a stewed meat dish, usually served with rice, a few pieces of avocado, some fried plantain,…
Ecuador is famous for chocolate. In this post, we’ll cover some of the premium chocolate brands in Ecuador (República del Cacao, Pacari), a unique chocolate drink with cheese, and how to correctly taste chocolate. Let’s begin with our full taste review of República del Cacao. República del Cacao: Premium Ecuador Chocolate Imagine our excitement when República…
We’ve tried many new fruits over the past 5 years, and the sweet granadilla is one of our favorites. ou may also enjoy reading about dragon fruit and guaba (the ice cream bean) fruit. It’s really fun to try new foods, especially fruit you’ve never seen or heard of before. You don’t know what it’s going…
Mangos are delicious and messy. They are one of the hardest-to-eat fruits for new expats and travelers – especially those of us from non-tropical climates. In this post, you’ll learn how to peel and eat a mango (like a human). I didn’t like mangoes in Canada. They never ripened, were expensive, and they tasted like soap….
Looking for the best coffee in Ecuador? In this post, you’ll learn about our favorite brand and roast of coffee. This is significant for a country that produces a lot of coffee. Ecuador’s Best Coffee Coffee in Ecuador is an interesting paradox. It’s produced here, but it is rather expensive and it can be hard…
Shortly after your arrival in Cuenca, you’ll realize that there are some pretty unique things here. One of the things tourists and expats enjoy seeing (and eating) is street food. In this post, you’ll learn about pork and cuy in Cuenca. One of the things tourists and expats enjoy seeing in Cuenca Ecuador is the…
Corviche is definitely one of my favorite traditional foods here in Ecuador. It’s right up there with encebollado. Corviche is made with mashed-up green plantain and fish. That combination may not sound all that appetizing but when it’s made right, it’s amazazing! 😉 Corviche: Deep Fried Fish and Green Plantain I’ve eaten corviche at a…
A little while ago, I discovered a very interesting fruit called guaba. It is very common at markets and can be seen on trees in the outskirts of Cuenca. Because of it’s slight vanilla flavor, guaba is also known as the: ice cream bean. What The “Ice Cream Bean” Looks Like It is green on…
Have you heard about encebollado? This is a very popular soup in Ecuador – especially on the coast. In this post, you’ll learn about different types of encebollado and just what we think about it. Encebollado: Fish (Tuna) Soup in Ecuador While living abroad one of the most common questions we are asked by locals…