There are three regions in Ecuador: the coast, the mountain highlands (or in Spanish, the Sierra), and the Amazon rainforest. Each region is different in culture, climate and customs!
In the Amazon it is hot and humid, and people eat lots of freshwater fish and worms called chontacuros. On the coast, people eat lots of seafood and green plantain (or, as it’s called here, verde). In the Sierra, where I live, people eat lots of carbohydrates. The Sierra also features the most interesting and different typical food that is served for very special occasions, guinea pig or cuy. I know that it seems pretty weird to us, because Americans typically see guinea pigs as pets, but they are only seen as food here. Guinea pig is a special dish usually eaten with many other meats and side dishes made for holidays or family events.
Everyday food here is pretty normal, delicious and also cheap! All over Ecuador, you can find restaurants with signs that say almuerzo, which means “lunch.” At these restaurants you can get a whole meal that includes soup, juice, a main plate and dessert for only $2.50. If we were to spend that much in the U.S., you could only manage to buy a bottle of Coca Cola! A normal main plate has lots of rice, a protein and a small portion of vegetables. At every meal, it is common to have freshly made juice. Meals here are very affordable, and I love going to get almuerzos after work with my friends!
Kids like you also eat a little differently, outside of the schools there are many vendors selling so many popular after school foods! Kids will buy french fries (papas) with little hot dogs (salchichas) which are called salchipapas!
