10 Traditional Dishes You Have To Try In Cuenca

Cuenca’s cuisine blends two different food cultures, Spanish and Native Ecuadorian. Some dishes, like figs cooked in spiced sugar syrup, are infused with Mediterranean flavors, while others rely on local ingredients prepared with European cooking techniques. If you’re visiting this beautiful city, each of these traditional foods is definitely worth trying.

Mote pillo

Mote is corn that has been dried and then rehydrated in an alkaline solution, similar to hominy or Mexican posole. To make mote pillo, saute the field corn with onion and garlic. Add eggs and milk, scramble, and then garnish with parsley and spring onion. Mote pillo is a popular side dish and snack food found throughout the Azuay and Loja provinces.

Cuy asado

Ecuadorians roasting guinea pigs over hot coals

Dulce de higo

Ecuadorians prepare figs very differently than we do in the United States. They are picked green, before they’re fully ripe, and soaked in water for an entire day before they are steeped in a syrup made from panela, a lightly-processed brown sugar, and spices like cinnamon and clove. These are usually served with fresh cheese for dessert though street vendors also stuff them into fresh rolls and sell them like sandwiches.

Fritada

Cubes of pork are fried in their own drippings until crisp on the outside and tender in the center. A plate of fritada is almost always served with pork cracklings, mote, and tostado, or toasted corn.

Humitas

Humitas are the muffins of Ecuador. Made with ground corn rather than flour, humitas can be made sweet (dulce) or salty (salado). Instead of a paper wrapper, they are wrapped in either a corn husk or a banana leaf. They are steamed rather than baked. Cuencanos eat them for breakfast or for a snack with a cup of black, sugared coffee.

Lechón al horno

Find a festival taking place in Cuenca and it is almost guaranteed that at least one vendor will be selling roast pork sliced directly off the whole pig. Also called hornado, this classic meal is always served with fried potato cakes, mote, tostado, and a small salad of tomato and red onion. Most markets have at least one hornado vendor in their food courts.

Rosero

Each family has their own special recipe for rosero but the common ingredients include ground white corn, orange juice, pineapple, and strawberries, as well as the exotic fruits babaco and naranjilla. The drink is seasoned with clove and cinnamon and sweetened with plenty of sugar. Served cold, rosero is available year round.

El rosero: un repaso a la historia y los sabores de esta rica y tradicional bebida » http://t.co/x55koGhl9w pic.twitter.com/o60CWG8cyu
— El Comercio Ecuador (@elcomerciocom) August 8, 2015

Locro de papas

Potato soup sounds so plain. But the potato soup of Cuenca is creamy, delicious, and addicting. Most chefs use the papa chola, a large, creamy yellow potato with a reddish skin, to make this traditional soup. All versions include milk, cheese, and sliced avocado. Locro de papas is the most requested comfort food in the Ecuadorian Sierra.

Tortillas de morocho

A well-cooked tortilla de morocho makes an excellent snack food while touring the cobblestoned streets of Cuenca. These pancake-like goodies are made from ground corn, both dried and fresh, and wheat flour. The best ones include chunks of fresh, white cheese. Vendors selling these scrumptious snacks cook them on ceramic skillets over a burning wood fire or propane gas stove.

Tortillas de maíz y morocho #cuenca #memorias #gastronimicas @tomebamba @TurismoEc pic.twitter.com/1NDYF6DH5o
— Carlos Mosquera (@Karlitos_mmc) June 14, 2015

Tamal

Most tourists will be familiar with a Mexican tamale which is similar to the Cuencano tamal. The batter is made with ground corn, water, and lard that is spread on a banana leaf. Seasoned chicken, pork, or beef are wrapped inside. The small packets are steamed in huge pots. Head to the famous Las Hererrías neighborhood of Cuenca to find the best tamales in town where an order comes with fresh black, pre-sweetened coffee.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.