Transitions - The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Sanduches in El Centro.  No choice,  Sanduches.

There is a TV show I like.  No Reservations.  It is not a cooking show but rather, a kind of hybrid video travel blog.  The host takes you on adventures all around the world.  He exposes you to all the cuisine, culture, and people that make up this Mundo Viejo Loco.  He takes you to places you might fear to tread because the establishment may appear dirty, is off the beaten path, or is not the typical tourist trap.  He eats things you might fear to eat because it looks "gross" or it is something your culture says is wrong to eat.  As my wife referenced in a previous post, do not mistake worn for dirty.  You will definitely miss out.

(Glossary at the bottom,  Google is too hard right?)

The host of No Reservations is Anthony Bourdain, a renowned Chef, TV personality, and now, movie star.  He is not out for shock value though I suppose he might be shocking at times.  He is as I said, an accomplished chef but no prude.  He provides me with a great deal of inspiration.  He has great taste in music, is not afraid of a drink, and is what I would call a plain speaker.  He enjoys fine food. He showed me fine food is like rhythm.  It is where you find it.

In any event, I often find myself calling on my "AB" spirit guide when it comes to exploration.  That being said, lets talk about food.

If you find yourself in Ecuador you are one lucky person.  The diversity of cultures can and will make your head spin.  Fifteen kilometers can mean the difference in the way rompope is made.  One kilometer can mean the difference in how strong the aguardiente is, whether a shot is comforting or will melt your eyeballs in their sockets.  Ten feet can mean the difference in your ceviche.  Is it precooked on the stove/baked, has the Chef let the citrus cure the raw seafood as it marinades, is it spicy or mild, is salsa de tomate involved?  Five feet can mean the difference in leche de coco being delicious or being this side of well, sickening.

Rompope at the Dulceria Bam Bam, Roqueforte.

My wife and I are resolute in the idea that we will try whatever we can.  My wife is a pescatarian. She used to be vegetarian (AB has few kind words for vegetarians) but she now eats fish because her health demands more protein. This was a compromise on her part.  I will eat the carne, pollo, cerdo and yes, cuy dishes. Hell, I will eat every dish. Apparently, iguana is a dish served here, and yes, I will eat that too.  Wall of Voodoo should be proud.  My wife will concentrate on vegetables, fruit, and pescado.

As most of you know, we live in Crucita.  A seaside fishing village which is a parish of the city of Portoviejo.  Portoviejo is the capital of the Manabi province.  One of the twenty four provinces of Ecuador.  It is known for its seafood, arroz, ceviches, and viches.  Bolones are fantastic in all their different forms.  Plantanos are a staple, rivaling arroz.  Both come with just about every meal.

Mango con limon y sal.

These things are extremely important to know. Why? Because the food here is representative of the cultures in all provinces as well as influences from the rest of the world.  Everyone makes the journey to la playa at some point.  We have neighbors from Cuenca, Guayaquil, Quito, Banos, Montecito, and Manta.  There are Germans, Canadians, Brazilians, English, Americans, French, and Italians.  The food is influenced by all.

We have been to many restaurants already and will talk about them all in due time.  You do not need to go to a restaurant for a great meal though. There are all kinds of street foods here. Fried banana, plantanos, salted green mango in limon juice, pan de yucca y queso, mamey mata serrano (a hard to find fruit only available in Manabi for a short time each year) and the list goes on.

Then of course you can cook for yourself.  Plentiful fresh produce, butchers, fish markets, and herb merchants are literally everywhere.

Vendors come by your home.  Tiendas have things that make your local convenience store look inadequate, only because they are. If you are lucky your neighbors will cook you a meal or twenty. Forget luck.  Show them you respect them.  Learn their customs so as not to offend.  Speak to them. They love their country and their familia. They love people and are so generous it is amazing. Reciprocate and you will experience some of the best food, familia, and fun of your life.

Home baked Sea Trout

As you may have guessed, my wife and I are transforming.  Our blog is as well.  The tools you need to move or visit here have been given.  There are a few loose ends perhaps.  Write us and we can help.  We are moving on to an actual life here.  This is the first step in that transformation.  You can now look forward as we are, to cuisine, culture, education, and fun.  Below is a simple food glossary to help you understand what we now know.

Rompope (rum-poe-pay):  A popular dessert drink made with egg yolk, vanilla, milk and aguardiente

Aguardiente (ah-gwar-dee-in-tay) Sugar cane spirits, made commercially but often distilled at home.  Homemade is the best kind

Ceviche (say-bee-chay) - A seafood dish generally served with chips de plantanos.  There are many variations on this dish (fish, shrimp, mussels, crab) but just think seafood salsa.  Some is made from precooked fish, Some is raw fish cured in citrus juices.  I have only had it served cold, just like salsa

Viche - (bee-chay) - A hot, peanut based seafood soup.  Primary ingredients may be fish, shrimp, or shellfish.  Mixta is my favorite meaning all seafood.  It will also have vegetables including plantanos.

Salsa de tomate (sal-sah day tow-mah-tay) tomato sauce

Pan de Yucca y Queso

Limon (lai-mon) - Lime

Leche de coco (lay-chay day coco) - Milk of the coconut.  Delicious

Bolones (bow-low-nays) Plantain dumplings that resemble hush puppies.  They come in a variety of flavors and can be stuffed with cheese or cheese and ham.

Carne (car-nay) - Beef


Pollo (po-yo) Chicken

Best chips ever.  Tostitos are dead.

Cerdo (ser-doh) Pork

Cuy (Kai) - Roasted guinea pig

Arroz (ah-roz) - Rice

Mundo Viejo Loco (mon-doh vee-a-ho low-co)  Crazy world

Plantanos (plan-tan-yos) Plantains. A vegetable that looks like a banana

Pan de Yucca y Queso (Pan-day-yuck-ah e kay-so)  Bread of yucca root and cheese

Mamey Mata Serrano (Mam-eh mat-ah ser-ra-no) - A fruit I cannot describe well.  It is like having a sweet apple, cantelope, and pear in one bite.  There really are no words but it may be the best fruit I have ever eaten.

Tiendas - (tee-en-dahs) - Small family owned shops that are like a mini grocery store. Do not be fooled by the size.  They carry an amazing variety of goods and you can even recharge your prepaid cell phone or DTV.  Chao!  Adios is not a word used here.  We are learning.

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