“So…What do you Eat in Ecuador?”

“So…What do you eat in Ecuador?” It’s a question I was asked a lot before I left Australia and it’s one of the first things my friends and family have been asking since I’ve returned to Ecuador, and it’s a very valid question. Food is a huge part of the traveling experience and the pre-conceived ideas that people have about a country absolutely include what the food might be like.

So I thought I’d share with you some of the standard meals I’ve been eating here in Guayaquil.

I’m fortunate that at the moment I’m staying in a modern house with a full kitchen where we can prepare meals. There are supermarkets close by that are just as modern as any western supermarket with the same types of items. So we’ve been doing what people usually do and buying our food, vegetables, olive oil, sugar and flour, from the supermarket or the fresh food market and bringing it back to the house to cook.

My boyfriend and I are currently staying with his family who are all vegetarian, therefore obviously no food is cooked with any meat products. As both my boyfriend and I eat a vegan diet, the rest of the family also eat vegan when we are here. I was initially surprised by the amount of non-animal products available at the supermarket and the dairy-free options many people who do not follow a vegetarian or vegan diet eat on a daily basis. Soy mayonnaise, for example, is easily available at the supermarket here in Ecuador but is a product I found very difficult to find in Australia. Drinking soy, oat and almond milk is also very ‘normal’ here.

As part of our daily routine we cook. Breakfast is relatively simple and is often a fresh fruit salad with papaya, banana, melon, strawberries and granola. Or this morning, for example, we ate bolón which is cooked onion, garlic and green plantain shaped into a ball and fried, along with with a cup of tea and freshly made passionfruit juice.

Lunch is usually the largest meal in our day and most often consists of a few different dishes such as falafel with bread or tortillas, tomato and onion salad, hummus, and avocado. Or home made llapengachos which are green plantain burgers with onion and garlic in the middle with fresh salad and rice. Yesterday we made a beautiful broccoli soup, which was accompanied by minestra which is made with lentils or beans in a sauce, similar to baked beans, with rice and a tomato and radish salad.

Most days, as we ate so much for lunch we don’t eat very much for dinner. I have brought in my gringa tastes and have introduced crackers with avocado and tomato as a small meal. Sometimes we might find a few vegetables and make a simple soup to eat with some popcorn, which is very traditional here.

The other day I was introduced to grapefruit with panela sugar sprinkled on top and then put in the freezer. It was delicious and we ate it for dessert whilst watching Game of Thrones. I love being introduced to new food combinations and cooking techniques when I travel, and being able to stay in a very typical Guayaquil house gives me the perfect opportunity.

I think many of my friends and family are often concerned about what I eat when I travel, especially as I am a diabetic and now vegan as well. But as you can see from the photos most of the time I eat like a queen. Even when I’m on the road, I always find food that is delicious, fresh and healthy. There are juice stalls all over South America that sell freshly made juice and often fruit salads and toasted sandwiches for a couple of dollars. Most markets have food courts with all kinds of meals to try, and almost all hostels I’ve stayed in here in South America have a kitchen to cook your own stuff.

I’m fortunate that I have always liked cooking and am able to make a good meal out of just a few products, but the great thing about Ecuador is that there’s so much fresh produce that’s cheap and readily available that it’s hard not to make something delicious.