Food and drinks of Ecuador

From eating monkey in the jungle to drinking the traditional purple-colored Colada Morada, we embrace trying a wide variety of food and drinks wherever we are. In the area between Banos and Shell, there is a dirt road that follows the river along which you'll find signs that say "pesca deportiva" (sport fishing). Here you can catch fish in pools and the nearby restaurant will cook them for you.

They were very proud of catching dinner for the whole family. 

We spent four days living deep in the Amazon jungle with the Waodani. They eat whatever they can hunt or grow, so while we were there, we ate pihranna, wild boar, paca, and monkey. They also eat chontacuro (large palm grubs) which Asher tried at school one day. (Top photo)

One of the most popular restaurants in Shell is Tablitas, which serves salchipapas (hot dogs and fries), burgers, rotisserie chicken, yucca fries and a combination meat plate that Daddy enjoyed.

Tablitas' location on the town square across from the airplane park offers a nice view at night. Food vendors set up tents along the road. Our favorites were the queso empanadas made in front of us, and pizza made street side by our Colombian friend.

Typically grocery shopping in Shell requires a visit to three or four different places like the bakery for bread, the butcher for chicken (and fresh ground peanut butter), another shop for milk and dry goods, and don't forget the fruit and veggie stand. Siza, this one-story market on the square, has more variety and is about four times larger than the other shops.

Many groceries are sold in bags- yogurt, milk, sauces, condiments and jams. It really cuts down on the size of the trash and they are easy to use. We discovered a special tea called guayusa that we really enjoy. It's grown in the Ecuadorian jungle and has beneficial qualities. The leaves come dried, folded and pierced onto a wire circle.

If you see an "almuerzo" sign in a window, that means the restaurant makes one meal for lunch. They usually give you two options for meat, often chicken or beef. It's served with soup, rice and vegetables or salad, and sometimes popcorn. A fresh made juice is included, usually a colada- juice mixed with oats and then strained, giving it a slightly gritty texture. This typical Ecuadorian lunch costs just $2.25 USD in Shell.

In Puyo, there is a restaurant that is known for el volquetero, a concoction of chochos (white high-protein bean), maiz tostado (roasted corn- think corn nuts, but softer), tomatoes and onions on a bed of chifles (green plantain chips) and topped with a can of tuna. Volquetero means dump truck. This dish was named after the dump truck drivers who would come into the restaurant on their short break needing some protein to fill them up. It sounds super weird, but we really developed a craving for this interesting dish.

A similar dish, the cevichocho, is a ceviche with chifles, popcorn, chochos, avocado, tomato, onion and your choice of chicken or fish, then topped with fresh squeezed limon, sauce and salt. Street vendors would often bring this by the ITEC Ecuador office.

Asher, Journey and Nanki spend time together just about everyday. Here they found guaba fruit in the yard. They cracked it open to reveal black seeds with a fuzzy white covering. It has a slightly sweet flavor and a similarity to cotton candy, but you have to scrape it off the seed with your teeth.

Another restaurant we visited a number of times is La Hacienda. The kids LOVE their kabobs!

Our friend, Andrea, invited us to her home and taught Asher, Journey and I how to make queso empanadas. It was super fun and they are delicious! Another day Daddy helped a local Quichua church with a minga (collective service for the benefit of a group) and afterwards we enjoyed a meal of chicken, rice and potatoes together. Journey was given the foot, a prized part of the meal.

Along the streets of Banos, there are hooks in many of the shops where vendors are stretching and pulling taffy. Many will break off a piece of this tasty treat for you as you walk by.

You can also find whole roasted pigs and even roasted guinea pigs!