Ecuador

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Loja is small city (and province) in the southern highlands of Ecuador. I was born in the town of Vilcabamba (45 minutes away from Loja) and went to high school in the city of Loja. As a result, so many of my memories of Ecuador are associated with the food I ate in Loja. This list is my recommendation of foods to eat in Loja. Some of these dishes are very authentic and traditional “lojano” meals, and some are dishes that can be also be found in other cities of Ecuador, but are included because I personally love the way they are prepared in Loja or they became part of my Loja experience.
You will be able to find many of traditional dishes at restaurants in the city of Loja and throughout the province. There are some foods that are very specific to the city or are mainly found during times of festivities (the feria/local fair, Independence Day celebrations, and other occasions). There are a few that I’ve only had prepared in the homes of close friends. And yes, I probably missed/forgot about some very traditional things to eat or drink in Loja, so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

 

Traditional foods to eat in Loja:

Repe lojano: Repe is a creamy soup made with green bananas (or green plantains in some cases, but green bananas are the preferred choice), milk, cheese and cilantro.

Arverjas con guineo or split pea and green banana soup: Arvejas con guineo is almost the same as repe, but it also has split peas. Both of these soups are usually served with avocado slices.

Cecina de chancho: I love this pork dish, it’s one of my favorites and can be found in many restaurants, but one of the best places to eat it is in Catamayo/Latoma. It consists of thinly cut pork steaks that are marinated with cumin and garlic, then dried in the sun and either grilled or fried. Cecina is served with the must have sides of boiled yucca (cassava), tomato and onion curtido, rice, and aji hot sauce.

Pollos a la brasa: You will see pollos a la brasa or whole chicken grilled over charcoal in many cities, but you will see that downtown Loja is full of pollo a la brasa places. In fact, one of the smells that reminds of the city is the smell of roasted chicken. I remember taking the bus (taxi ruta these days) and getting off near Mercadillo street, and as soon as you get into that area you are immersed in the smell coming from the restaurants making pollos a la brasa. I remember buying a “quarto de pollo” or a quarter of the roasted chicken, and getting it in plastic bag to go, with the rice/salad all mixed in with chicken (it might not sound good, but it was amazing!).

Tamales lojanos con aji de pepa: Loja is famous for its amazing tamales, these tamales are filled with either chicken or pork, and are wrapped in achira leaves. Achira is known as arrowroot in English. The tamales lojanos are served with a must try mild hot sauce called aji de pepa, it’s a thick green sauce made with pepas or squash seeds blended with cilantro, hot peppers, and spices. Tamales are usually served for breakfast or with the afternoon coffee.

Humitas or fresh corn tamales: Humitas, sometimes called humas for short in Loja, are savory steamed fresh corn cakes made from a mixture of freshly ground corn, cheese, eggs, and cream, which is placed inside corn husks and steamed. Same as tamales, they are served for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, and usually the same restaurants will offer both humitas and tamales. Humitas are best accompanied by aji de tomate de arbol or tree tomato/tamarillo hot sauce….

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