As I said earlier, there are three distinct regions in Ecuador with totally different environments and climates. This means that the types of fruits and vegetables that grow in each region changes based on the type of weather there. For example, rice, mangoes, bananas and cacao (the plant that chocolate comes from) grow well in the coastal region because of the hot weather year round. In contrast, crops such as avocados and corn need more moderate weather. They grow well in the mountainous Highland region. Over the years, people have learned to take advantage of the environment by growing crops best suited for their respective regions. This doesn’t mean that you can only find these foods in those areas, it just means that these foods are most common and freshest in the areas they come from.
