Bizarre Foods: Ecuador

I happened to catch part of an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman and by chance he was in  Ecuador! Please access this link for a synopsis of the episode. You can also download the episode from iTunes for $1.99 or get segments of it on YouTube, like the one below.

I didn't catch the whole episode but I did learn about two items: cuy (guinea pig) and an aloe vera vitamin drink. As you can see in the video above, cuy is slow cooked on a spit over hot coals. According to Andrew, the cuy meat is sweet and tender. Even with his rave review, I am not sure that I would be able to take part in sampling cuy without thinking of my 4th grade class pet!

The aloe vera vitamin drink was found at the market in Otavalo, which is north of the capitol of Quito. This vitamin drink is intended to help with digestive process. It is a rather viscous and bitter beverage, according to Andrew in this episode. Check out this YouTube video which is narrated in spanish. 

I decided to consult my Insight Guide on Ecuador to see what I could find out more about cuy and other foods items. I read that cuy was the main source of meat in the Andes prior to the arrival of Europeans to Ecuador. All families had guinea pigs running around the house and many still do. The guide went on to say that cuy is eaten on special occasions, like at Andean Festivals. I did not find anything about the aloe vera drink, but there many other bebidas (beverages) to read about. They have the obvious items such as coffee (café), tea (té), soft drinks (gaseosas), and mineral water (agua mineral). However there are many that are unique to this country. There is api which is a hot, thick drink made from ground corn or chicha morada, a sweet drink made from purple corn. 

In two of our pre-tour sessions we had learned about a unique beverage called chicha. It is a fermented beer made from yuca which is a potato like vegetable. Chicha is made using a unique process. Women take and chew pieces of the yuca, using the enzymes in the saliva to aid in the fermentation process by breaking down the starches in yuca to simple sugars. They spit the resulting juice into a jar and add yeast or bacteria to continue fermentation. After sitting for some time, the fermented beer or chicha is ready for consumption. 

I hope this post does not scare one from traveling to and enjoying the foods and beverages of Ecuador. I wanted to share some of the unique items that are part of the ecuadorian culture. No matter where you travel there will local dishes or beverages! This makes me think of the senior trip to Florida where the students and chaperones got the opportunity to try alligator. Part of the fun of traveling comes from enjoying the foods, beverages, and customs of the area you are in. We will see what opportunities arise for me on this trip to consume the unique foods and beverages of Ecuador. I will keep you posted!