Food

As Ecuador is a mix of different cultures it reflects on the food and as people have mixed in most parts the food is also a mix of ingredients from all over the country but at the same time it is a big difference at the same time due to nature and climate that affects what they can locally produce. Different region have their typical dishes as well so you have a lot to explore during your travels through Ecuador.

Most people that travel to Ecuador will soon discover that they eat rice all the time, both for lunch and dinner and sometimes even for breakfast. Another thing that foreigners has to get used to is the lack of sauces as this is nothing they really have in their cooking and it can easily feel a bit dry when you are served for example rice with fish even if the taste is good.
The traditional meal in Ecuador is first a soup, then the main course finishing of with a desert that can be anything from a cake to a fruit. This vary a lot between the regions and from family to family but can be a handful to cope with but many families also makes it a bit easier with the food and just have something light for dinner like coffee with sandwich or even just leftovers from lunch. The most important meal for an Ecuadorian is lunch no matter what region you are in.

In the Andean region they tend to use a lot of pork and chicken together with rice, corn and potatoes. Here cuy, guinea pig, is something that people love but don't worry, as it is quite expensive they won't serve you this too often. This is the best region to be if you are a vegetarian or just want more vegetables in your diet.

On the coast they tend to use more seafood together with beans and plantains, similar to banana, and quit a few dishes also has peanuts. This is also the region where people use most and strongest aji, a spicy sauce, with the food but don't worry as it is normally placed on the table so everybody can take as much as they like. They tend to prepare a lot of their dishes fried in oil or in a frying pan and they don't like vegetables or fruits too much.

In the Amazon region they normally eat meat like chicken or pork together with yucca, a root that they prepare in many ways, together with rice. Like on the coast they often avoid vegetables but likes fruits more like in the Andean region.

In the Galapagos Island the typical dishes are simply fish, pork or chicken together with rice. They don't serve to much vegetables but this also has to do with that they need to import this from the mainland and that makes it more expensive.

In general you need to stay away from raw vegetables in the warmer regions and even in the Andean region if you eat at a simpler place as this is an easy way to get a bad stomach due to that they don't clean it properly.

Water

NEVER drink water directly from the tap when you are in Ecuador even though some locals do that. Most people have a five gallon tank of water that they refill through a water company or they boil the tap that they let cool down before drinking and this also works fine for foreigners even though it sometimes have a slightly strange taste due to minerals etc.

Despite what people sometimes say there are not many cases of people refilling water bottles with tap water to sell again. There was a big case of this several years ago but it was a big company belonging to a famous soda producer in the US without saying any names. If you still are worried about this we recommend that you just buy water brands that put a plastic sealing over the cap and also take a look in the store that it is sealed correctly.

Ice and water served in drinks, sodas, juices etc are normally from bottle water. The only times you should take it easy is if you are buying something in a very simple place or maybe in the street. In the mountains people are more carefully even in the simplest place but on the coast you should take it easy as they have a different mentality as well as climate.

Fruits

There are not many countries in the world that has the same variety of fruits as Ecuador and the quality is excellent. You are also never too far away from fruits as there are people selling different fruits along the streets depending on season as well as there are small fruit markets in most of the neighborhoods so take the chance to try something new.

The important thing to remember is that if you can't peel the fruit you should buy a bottle of water and wash it off. Other than that the fruits in Ecuador are guaranteed healthier than back home with less chemicals.

People in Ecuador use many fruits as natural medicine when they for example have problems with the stomach high cholesterol. This is a big difference compared to countries where the fruit has to be imported and to do this they pick the fruit before it is ripe to be transported with chemicals and this results in that you don't get the same effect by eating them as here. For example can a couple of mangos at night result in a night long visit to the bathroom so remember to take it easy if you are already bad in your stomach.

Raw strawberries that has just been washed off with tap water is a quite common way to get bad in your stomach, at least in warmer regions.

Typical Beverages

Ecuadorians traditionally serves fresh juices to their meals even though many people today partly uses powder juices or sodas instead. They also always put sugar in the juices but when the people in the Andean use a bit they tend to make it more sugar with fruit juice on the coast, the Galapagos Islands and in the Amazon region.

Another typical drink is batido that is like a smoothie, milk with fruit juice. There is a flavor for every person but remember to take it easy with this drink in simple restaurants or bars while traveling in warmer regions like the coast as they don't always keep the milk in the cooler which can end up in a bad stomach.

People here always need to have their coffee and even some dishes demands a cup but if you are used to strong brewed coffee you will get disappointed as they always use instant coffee. The traditional way in many regions is actually not even with water but with hot milk and instant coffee. Black coffee on water is called cafe Americano and coffee with a bit of milk is called cafe pintado, painted coffee, but if you want anything like a cappuccino or espresso you need to go to a fairly nice restaurant or bar so don't expect any family to serve this at their home.