Ecuador travel Esmeraldas food and culinary art

Esmeraldas culinary delights

Esmeraldas is also one of the richest provinces in what concerns gastronomy. The Afro-Ecuadorian culture has contributed with key elements in this area. Its main ingredients are coconut, seafood, green-banana, and cassava. Try some of the recipes below!

Ceviche: This is a dish made with seafood (their favorite are raw dark oysters, shrimp, squid, mussels, or raw fish cooked in lemon juice!) It is made with lots of red onion, chili, other spices, and herbs. The secret in making cebiche is knowing how to regulate the amount of the seafood’s juice, according to the type. It is served cold and together with green banana chips and a really cold beer. You can also ask for mixed cebiches.

Encocados: This dish is made with grated coconut and coconut milk added to the fish or to any kind of seafood before cooking them. Encocado Rice: The rice is cooked with coconut; it is served alone or with seafood.
Smoked mullet: Mullets are smoked (placed about 50 cm, 20 inches above the coal) and are bathed with coconut milk. This can be made and enjoyed on the beach.
Green-banana ball soup: Green bananas are cooked, mashed and shaped in balls with cheese inside. The soup also has shrimp and coconut milk.
Fish or shrimp casserole: This is a dish made with mashed green banana, coconut milk, grated coconut, ground peanuts, and fish or shrimp (or both!). It goes to the oven until it is light brown.
Fish and Green-Banana Tapao: Layers of fish and green bananas are cooked in water and seasoned with coconut and chillangua. It is important to cover it with banana leaves.
Masato or Chucula: This dish is made of boiled ripe banana mashed on a stone together with milk or coconut milk, butter, cheese, egg, all wrapped in a bijao leaf and baked.
Esmeraldas Cocada: This is a sweet made of brown sugar loaf and coconut, milk, and peanuts. It is cooked long, depending on the stage desired.
Cazabe: This is another sweet based on cooked corn and coconut juice, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and orange leaf. It is a Caribbean sweet that arrived to Esmeraldas a long time ago.
Frutipan: This is made with the bread tree fruit which is cooked and grinded. It also includes sweet spices, butter, and cheese. It is made by the Chachis and Cayapas Indians.
Non-alcoholic beverages: Among others, borojo juice, and chocolate-coconut beverage.

Drinks and cocktails: Sugar cane liquor (42º); anisette; curio, which is a strong but energizing drink with several aromatic herbs; beer blended with an egg (to wake up a dying man!)