Coming to Ecuador after living in Mexico for several years was a bit of a culinary shock. "Oh my God, I thought, how am I going to live without chilies?" Well, there is an Ecuadorian chili, commonly known as "aji" (accent on the "i"). Even what we knew in Mexico as "salsa” is called "aji,” here because it is made with the one and only aji chili. To be fair, one can occasionally buy fresh jalapenos, dried red chilies, crushed red peppers and even preserved jalapenos in SuperMaxi, one of the local supermarkets. However, these are not typically used in Ecuadorian cuisine.
After a month or so of living in Cuenca, I realized that something was happening to my taste buds. I was aware of the purity and freshness of what I was eating ... another culinary shock. There were tomatoes that tasted like none I'd eaten in some twenty odd (don´t ask how odd) years; meat that had a home-on-the-range freshness; fruit whose flavor seemed it explode in my mouth. I was thrilled. Granted, I cannot call the food here gourmet but I can certainly attest to eating fresh and eating healthy.
Cuenca’s dining choices are changing rapidly. Apparently, only five years ago, the only "foreign" food here came from Pizza Hut. Today, we are awash with new eating establishments ranging from (unfortunately) fast food to (almost) gourmet.
A taste of traditional cuisine
El Maiz, located near Museo Banco Central, is a traditional Cuencano restaurant serving what is known as "comida tipica,” or typical food. The restaurant is a celebration of maize, the sacred grain of pre-Hispanic cultures. Maize is included in many of the local dishes served here, including tamales, humitas, mote (boiled corn), as choclo in salads and in corn pudding (budin de choclo). They also serve salads and Cuencano specialties like Troncha, marinated beef, Seco de Chivo and Seco de Pollo, which are "estofados" or stews made with mutton and chicken, respectively. You will also find fresh trout, traditional soups and ceviches on the menu, as well as Cocina Fusion, which adds some not-quite-traditional ingredients to traditional recipes.
When I asked Maiz’s owner, Lala, why she opened a traditional restaurant she replied: "To rescue our gastronomic identity.” What a great idea, I thought, in a world where most people want to identify with what they see on American television (philosophical viewpoints provided gratis!). Lala said that the recipes came from her family and include some family secrets as well as some national dishes like tamales and ceviche. She told me that this is the way that Cuencanos once cooked at home.
What does the traditional El Maiz fare offer the tourist or newcomer? Fresh ingredients, where nothing is frozen or made with preservatives. It is a wonderful, tasty, dining experience and a great introduction to Cuenca.
El Maiz, Calle Larga 1 – 279 y Calle de los Molinos, Cuenca; Phone 284-0224
Other good comida tipica choices around town
Raymipampa, on Parque Calderon. In addition to "comida tipica", they serve a $2 breakfast with eggs, juice, cheese and rolls. It's unusual to find an egg breakfast in Cuenca, as the locals usually eat humitas, tamales, quimbolitas or sweet rolls in the morning. They do a pretty good fried fresh trout, served after 11 a.m. (Benigno Malo No. 8-59, phone 282-4169)
El Tequila, on Calle Gran Colombia, No. 20-59, phone 282-2807 is on the north side of the street, going away from the centre of town, two blocks east of Unidad Nacional. It’s a little pricier and not as refined as El Maiz but good nonetheless.
Of course, don't forget all the Comida Tipica restaurants that serve $1.50 to $2.50 almuerzos (“menu of the day” lunch). Quality varies and meals are pretty heavy on the carbs and consist of a soup, main course (with rice and potatoes!) and a drink. As it so happens, one's body needs more carbs at Cuenca’s altitude so your waistline should survive the onslaught!
NEXT UP: Rolling on the river -- one of the best sushi restaurants anywhere.