Food!

I don’t think I’ve posted yet much about the food, knowing me, that is sort of shocking. Here is a sampling of what I eat regularly here in Puerto Lopez.

First, the Batidos. Across Ecuador they drink “batidos” They are basically fruit, sugar, milk and ice, blended together into deliciousness. It is so good. Every little stand or restaurant has fresh fruit and you can just pick whichever fruit(s) you’d like: passion fruit, coconut, blackberry, strawberry or my new favorite “tomate del arbol” (literally tree tomatoes – no idea what it’s called in English). Yum! I love these drinks. (I think I may have already posted about batidos – but they are that good!) They usually cost between $1-1.50.

Second, the Ceviche. There is a long standing battle between Ecuadorians and Peruvians about who first invented Ceviche. I haven’t tried Peruvian Ceviche before, but Ecuadorian Ceviche is pretty darn good. Ceviche is sea food that is cooked using the acidity of lemon and lime juice. It’s so tasty. There is a little shack on the beach near my hostel that serves up a delicious pescado (fish) ceviche (other options are camarones (shrimp), longostina (lobster), pulpo (octopus) or marinero (literally means sailor but here it means a mix of all of them). The best in Puerto Lopez, in my opinion, is the little place near my hostel. The “soup” that it comes in is just sour enough plus they add onions, tomatoes and green peppers on top plus a little scoop of a peanut mayonnaise sauce that is amazing! They also serve it with “patacones” – which are little sliced, fried, flattened, plantain chips. Plus you know that fish is fresh. The fish market is literally a stone’s throw away from the hut. I’ve already eaten there three times and I’ve only been Puerto Lopez two weeks. It’s only $3 for a bowl at my favorite restaurant, but some of the other ones charge up to $10.

Third, the Empanadas. There is this house here in Puerto Lopez where a woman lives who makes empanadas. Every evening she opens the door and puts a little stand outside of her house where you can buy these delicious snacks. They are usually filled with a puree of plantains and either cheese or chicken. On top of that you pile a spicy sauce plus a coleslaw type salad and a homemade mayonnaise dressing. They are usually too hot to eat right away because they just came out of the hot oil. Once they cool down enough you have to try and eat them without getting the oil and goodness all over you. A great snack, or if you have two or three, a meal. These cost only $0.50.

Finally, Almeurzos. Almeuerzo literally means lunch – but it means so much more here. There are restaurants or “comedors” (outdoor restaurants) all over Puerto Lopez that serve lunch. Lunch here is not like the US. You don’t get a menu. You go in, you sit down and they give the options, if there are any. What kind of soup? Either fish or meat. Then you choose the main: fried fish or meat. You get a drink with it – no options there. Whatever fruit they decided to make juice out of that day is your juice. Some places don’t have options – but most have at least two. The soup is a steaming bowl that could be a light meal by itself. Then comes the main – usually some form of meat, plus rice, plus beans plus a small salad, plus a few patacones. Then they bring the juice. These meals are delicious and very filling. They range in price from $2.25 – $4 in Puerto Lopez.

P.S. Saturday I went to Isla de la Plata, which is known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos.  I have all sorts of pictures to post.  

P.P.S. To mark the season of Advent I am going to write in my blog or my personal journal every day. Advent starts next Sunday, December 2.