Ecuador Cuisine Guinea Pig also known as cuy!

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Guinea pigs!! Yes, Guinea pigs! The ones that you have as family pets aren’t treated as the cuddly companions you have at home; instead, in the Andean mountains of Ecuador,they’re bred, boiled, and deep-fried for dinner.

Guinea pig, known as Cuy in South America, is a local delicacy that’s unique to the highlands of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.  Cuy is most often eaten for special occasions, a tradition that dates back hundreds of years to the Incan empire.
Cuy is not only used for food. They warm the house, keep the rats away, and are used for medicinal purposes. Local herbal doctors use cuy in their healing rituals. In one ceremony, a shaman will rub the sick person in question with a black cuy for about 15 to 30 minutes, or until the guinea pig suffocates. He then can diagnose the patient’s illness by cutting the animal in half and interpreting the malady according to the animal's spread out innards.

It is also believed that cuy carries positive energy when eaten. 

I think I'll give it a try the next time I'm up there, promise, and will report back on the taste, but I heard it tastes like chicken. 

Cuy is prepared differently across the highlands. In places like Chaltura, they deep-fry it multiple times at different temperatures.

 the chef  throws a de-furred, cuy carcass into a pan of sizzling hot oil.  The lifeless meat is slinked into a deceptively hot vat of placid oil.  Something i have never seen yet, but Once sufficiently crispy, the cuy is served starfished  on a plate.   Head, teeth  claws the lot! ha my friends in England will be shocked also a friend of mine keeps loads as pets but shhh they might not read this, anyhow what are your views about this strange i know, but suppose if there is nowt in the house and you have a fat guinea pig looking at ya then what the hell ha ha thanks for reading one last picture still can´t believe it ha!!!

If this is not for you, then you may like these delicious meals that you will find on the coast Ceviche and Encebollado (hangover food)

Fancy trying something new and different? Want to learn more about another culture? This collection of tasty recipes from Ecuador is guaranteed to wet your appetite and widen your experience. And if you have ever wondered how the Andean people cook guinea pig.... you can find out here.

Guinea Pig For Breakfast Recipe Book 

Ecuador Cuisine Encebollado fish soup hangover cure

Encebollado is a great remedy for hangovers. Its works because the fish oil helps get rid of the free radicals that result from the breakdown of alcohol in the body. Restaurant owners in Ecuador often sell the soup in the morning for this reason, so if you get up early you will see a few sore heads ha ha although it is versatile enough to work for lunch and dinner, too.

Encebollado has to be my favourite dish out here i could live off the stuff, it  is the national dish of Ecuador, where it originated. not to hard to make, encebollado has only four primary ingredients: fish, tomatoes, onions and yuca. The soup is both pungent and spicy in flavor.

The base of encebollado is a mix of tomatoes and onions, and the Spanish word encebollado is roughly translated as "onion fish soup." This mix, known as sofrito, also calls for spices common to the Ecuadorian region, such as cumin, chili and cilantro. Salt also is included. In some versions, the cook also adds some fresh chili peppers.

Albacora, or tuna, is the traditional encebollado fish. One reason for this is that tuna is so plentiful in the waters near Ecuador. With tuna, a common fish, as the primary protein, encebollado is a relatively inexpensive soup.

In addition to the sofrito and tuna, encebollado recipes include yuca. Yuca is a root vegetable found in much of South America. A highly coarse and fibrous plant, yuca provides the starch for the soup and is a major source of carbohydrates.

To make this simple fish soup, one first prepares the base. This requires frying the tomatoes, onions and spices in some oil. Only medium heat is required during this step.


After you have done the base,  add water to it and boil the tuna for about 15 minutes until it is cooked all the way through. then add the cilantro to the resultant fish broth during this process. Then the tuna is taken out and drained, and the yuca is boiled in the fish broth until the roots are tender but firm. After the yuca roots are cooked, they are removed from the broth so that their coarse strings can be removed and the roots chopped. Adding the yuca and tuna back to the broth with some salt completes the main part of the fish soup.

You can also  add pickled onions and tomato to the batch. Salsa sometimes is used in addition to or in place of these toppings. Another option is topping the soup with some additional chili pepper slices. you can sprinkle the dish with a little lime juice, and finally add chifles to the mix tastes lush! give it a go tell me what you think thanks for looking!

Ecuador Cuisine Fish Ceviche

Follow on from shrimp ceviche here is the recipe for fish ceviche remember these are merely guidelines as everyone cooks it different but you get the idea, i have rice and chifles with mine chifles are like crisps that you crush and mix in your finished dish should look a bit like this

On to how to make fish ceviche
Ingredients:

2lb of white fish fillets (corvina, halibut, sea bass, tilapia, sole), cut into small square pieces
2 red onions diced very finely
4 tomatoes diced very finely
2 bell peppers, assorted colors, chopped very finely
20 limes, separated into about 10 limes to cook the fish and 10 limes for the ceviche marinade
1 bunch of cilantro (also known as coriander) chopped as finely as possible
Salt and sunflower oil

Preparation:

    Place the raw fish pieces in a glass dish and cover it with salt and lime juice from about 10-12 limes, the fish should be completely covered by lime juice.
    Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator, let the fish marinate or cook itself in the lime juice for at least 4 hours.
    Mix the onions, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro with the juice from the remaining limes and let marinate for about an hour.
    Once the fish is “cooked” in the lime juices rinse it well and mix it with the vegetable marinade, add salt and sunflower oil to taste.
    Serve with chifles. and don´t forget the rice for more recipes might i suggest using the
Here for shrimp Ceviche recipe

The Ecuador Cookbook: traditional vegetarian and seafood recipes 

An easy to use English / Spanish cookbook featuring traditional vegetarian and seafood Latin American cuisine; step-by-step instructions; easy to find ingredients; and original illustrations

Ecuador Cuisine Shrimp Ceviche

When you come to Ecuador there are many cuisines to try out in this post we will concentrate on ceviche made with shrimp, when i first came here i was a bit wiery on trying out all these new foods as there is allot of lime used in these foods thought maybe bad stomach especially from using fish and shrimp etc, i did try a ceviche, but really hated it, but 2 years on i love it and have it most sundays as it is a tradition over here on the coast ,it must of just been the wrong place that i had it, Any how my wifes mother knocks up some great food ceviche being one of her dishes,
Here is a basic recipe on how to make shrimp ceviche maybe not exactly the same as my mother in laws but just a guidline you will need

    2 pounds raw shrimp, deveined, and shelled

    4 limes

    1 lemon

    1/2 medium onion, chopped fine

    3 tomatoes, chopped

    1 jalapeno, chopped, don't de-seed

    heavy handful of chopped cilantro

    10 oz. ketchup

    salt to taste

Directions

Boil water  then turn it off and put your shrimp in the pot for only one minute (they should not be completely cooked!) and remove from water to a strainer.

Put shrimp and chopped onion in a medium/large bowl and squeeze the juice of limes and lemon over the top. Salt a bit, stir, and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (It's important that you put onion in with shrimp in this step - if you wait and add it later it won't be the same - the onion "cooks" with the shrimp in the citrus juice.)

Remove from fridge (that's obvious, right?), stir, and add your chopped tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, ketchup, and a bit more salt to taste also have some rice made up to mix in and we use chiflets like crisps but made from plantain. should look something like this

Jobs a good en not sure how many people this will feed but im guessing 4 plus, next i will talk about ceviche with fish also a dish called encebollado which is by far my favourite i could just eat that allday. give it a go see what you think thanks for looking!

Ecuador life A few reasons why you should choose Ecuador for a holiday

 So you have never been to  South America before?,but  You want to experience adventure, culture, history, and nature all wrapped up into one holiday? Then  look no further  Ecuador is the place for you and a great starting point if you want to explore the world. With exceptionally diverse flora and fauna, warm temperatures year round, and many opportunities for adventure at every turning point, Ecuador is definitely your destination of choice.  Ecuador is made up over 4 diverse regions in one country consisting of the Galapagos Islands the Amazon the coast and the Andes  which we will talk about today

The Galapagos Islands  also known as the Enchanting Islands, offer visitors the opportunity to get up close to hundreds of bird species, unique flora and fauna, and numerous endemic species found only here pure paradise. In the Galapagos you can swim with the sea lions, if you feel brave you can dive with white-tip reef sharks or if that isn’t your preference then you can just get close-up to the  giant tortoises out in the wild.  The islands offer an amazing walking experience sporting beautiful beaches with breath taking  sun sets each day.for Galapagos bookings try  http://www.galapagostraveline.com

Amazon Jungle  The Amazon sitting on the east part of Ecuador gives you the experience of a real rainforest the same as what you would see in Brazil, that offers exactly the same pristine jungle.  Examine the diverse vegetation, and unique wildlife as you trek through the Ecuadorian Amazon. With over 1,000 different species of birds living here

, it is a prime location to bird watch so get your binoculars and cameras on the ready. Other wildlife you will see are  monkeys which swing overhead or if you are lucky you may spot the brightly colored poison dart frog.  Amazon lodges are available giving you that relaxed feeling also overlooking the Napo River. to book a tour try http://www.rainforestsecuador.com/

Quito Is the capital of Ecuador, which has been recognized since 1978 as an UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved, beautiful colonial center where the president Raphael Correa resides. You will walk amongst the oldest monuments of the city, which include: the 300 year old San Francisco convent and Jesuit Church.  you can also get an insight into the ecuador’s culture by a light lunch or coffee as in a quiet side street while you may spot the odd Quechua woman that flourishes past you in their vivid clothing arrangements .allot of mixed culture you will see here but very interesting! for Quito tours try http://www.grayline.com/Quito/

Cotopaxi Volcano the Cotopaxi volcano is the second highest volcano in Ecuador. Clearly distant from the Quito skyline, Cotopaxi is also one of few mountains with a glacier on top of it’s peak. Alexander von Humboldt was the first European to try  climbing to the summit, but only managed to get half way, but times have changed and you can actually trek to the summit with assistance and guided tours in order to make that dream come true! for cotopaxi tours try www.cotopaxitours.com

The City of Cuenca  which is the third largest city in Ecuador definitely worth a visit you will see many historic buildings of colonial charm and bustling markets.  El Sagrario is of particular interest, which was built in 1557 more than 455 years ago. Explore the city as you venture to different museums, churches, and galleries or even to  stop off  and buy some authentic souvenirs many arts and crafts handmade by locals. El Cajas National Park is also situated here sporting over 275 Andean lakes and many places to just sit,relax and enjoy the view!for tour guides in Cuenca try www.cuenca.com.ec

Whale Watching Every summer in the months between June and October, humpback whales travel to their breeding areas off the Pacific coast of Ecuador. You can take a small boat and  get up-close to the whales  in their natural habitat where they reside here until  they move on to warmer waters. The best place to go whale watching  is in a small coastal town called Puerto Lopez  in Manabi many tourists come here every year and are amazed with these giant creatures! for whale watching in Puerto Lopez try http://www.hosteltrail.com/tour_companies/islastours

I hope this is all helpfull to you and gives you an insight as to how what and when to do activities of interest over here!

Ecuador expat crime safety guide

Ecuador expat Safety and crime guide.
Every country has its own crime, whether it is being robbed, burgled, fighting, etc. I know back home that certain areas are terrible to be in, let alone live in, but this can all be avoided if you understand what to do and what not to do. OK, you are a tourist, and you do stick out like a sore thumb. Try to blend in; it's not a fashion show. Try to keep jewelry down; no big medallions, fingers full of rings or the latest tag watch, or you will just attract attention from passersby. If someone says it is dangerous to walk down that road at night, then do not do it. I made that mistake once and was close to getting robbed. The guy had a gun, but my friend came to the door in time and told the guy I was OK, to which he walked on and said adios! But if you feel the need to, then by all means, go with a few people , just never on your own!

Now, in England, we do not carry guns for self-defense, but some Americans do, so I would advise that weapons will not help you here. Chances are, you will be the person who gets locked up for shooting someone or letting off a round. No one wants to be robbed. I have been told that if someone tries to rob me, just let them do it and they will be gone. Everyone is different, so all I can say is that I wouldn't let someone do that to me.  So it's your call what you do in that kind of situation. 
money. If you are going shopping, don't put all your money in 1 purse. If you get pick pocketed, that is it, cards gone, money gutted!

Money belts I don't like them as you look shifty every time you are sorting the money out. Put money in a few pockets, spread it out, or if you are wearing socks,it is the perfect spot. If you are using public transport, be alert to what is going on. It happened to me in Quito. I was waiting to get on the electric bus when I was pushed onto the bus. There was a big rush of people pushing to get on. I didn t think anything of it. Everyone either sat or held onto the bar, at which point a man holding a plastic bag was looking very nervous and sweating. As I looked at him, the bus stopped. He got off. I checked my pockets My wallet had gone very sly indeed,had all my cards, cash, etc., and was a total nightmare, but lesson learned: keep valuables safe or get a chain that ties your wallet to your jeans, if you know what I mean.

So pickpockets are very clever and work in groups along the electric car route,

You hear about people being kidnapped and killed, etc. I wouldn't think much of that. Yes, you are a target if everyone knows you have money and thinks they could make money from this. It is very rare. Ecuadorians are really nice people, but like most countries, you always get a few idiots. Recently, there were two kidnappings here, but they were on Ecuadorians and had to do with money, drugs, and, of course, a woman. There is always a reason over here; just don't give people the opportunity.

Chances are you will never see a crime in your life over here, but just be aware that is the best way I can advise, although a Dutch lad once told me that if you walk past people looking slightly angry, chances are you will never be harassed. Works for me, no trouble at all. 

Don't be put off by the security here, guards with guns outside shops, banks, and on the streets, etc. You should feel safe.

Finally, if you are asked to read something on a bit of paper or are close to an ATM and people try to chat, walk away  ignore the person or be quick about your business. There is a drug over here made from a flower. If sniffed, you can have short-term memory loss but be under control. If someone asks you to do something for them, i.e. get them all of your money out of the atm, you will never know that you have done it.

This goes for bars and nightclubs too. Don t accept drinks from strangers and don´t leave your drink unattended. Simple rules really. Other than this security briefing, I guarantee you will love this amazing country and never see any of the above!

Ecuador living The real Cost of Living!

The Cost of Living here in Ecuador

OK, first thing first, you will see on many websites that foreign people like myself claim they just survive on 1000 dollars a month here. What a load of rubbish! 

You will live like King Tut and Queen Anne. I swear it is very, very cheap here to live. For example, my electric bill is in the region of 25 dollars per month, gas is 1.70 for a bottle that lasts a month and a half, my water is 15 per month, so I also pay 25 for the upkeep of my garden rubbish collected by guard at the gate, etc., and 25 for the internet, so bills are 91-92 dollars a month! Petrol is great compared to back home. 10 dollars will last me about 10 days if I am tootling around town most days. I also spend 20 dollars per week at the market buying fresh fruit, vegetables, corn, meat, fish,chicken, etc. If I need anything else, I will go to the shop nearby. So what's that so far 210ish? That's not bad, is it? I understand if you have to pay rent or a mortgage, this adds to the budget. For example, you can get some soup, a main course, and a cola for under 3 dollars. 70 cents for a bottle of beer, 70 cents. I'm not going to rant on about how much this is how much that is, but if you have a money retirement business etc and you make 400 dollars or more, then you are laughing. 

Quito is slightly expensive, but the power seems to be less up there, and the water is good to drink from the tap also. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you are used to. If you want to live the high life, then do it, but if you want a comfortable life, then eat Ecuadorian food and try to be an Ecuadorian. There are so many rewards. I should mention that most Ecuadorians make less than $250 per month and seem to make ends meet. Your pension will contribute significantly to the funds you already have! 

Please ask any questions you have!

Ecuador expats searching property

OK, post after the car guide houses is today's topic! 

I could talk about this all day, but I'm going to just give you a breakdown of your options, pricing, where to look, etc., but this is just a guide as everyone has different prices ranging from 15k to 1 million dollars! 

Ecuador expats looking for a new home in a project or gated community, whether in a coastal town or city. Here is an example of a gated community!!!

You learn so much when you experience all of this over here first hand. Back in the UK, I would use an estate agent, but over here, I wouldn't for the simple reason that, without being nasty, they will get as much as they can from you. The funny thing is that most agents are foreign, whether they be American or French, and they still try to rob you blind. 

The first step is to look for projects that are already up and running and visit them to get an idea of the price range. Buying from a plan can be risky in Europe, I remember seeing houses from hell being built through the project etc. Well, you will not have that kind of problem, thank God, but there are many options to consider. You may be able to buy a house, say a 3 bedroom, for 25 grand at the start of the build, and as the project progresses,

I myself live in a gated community project, and if I had known the price 6 months prior, I may have been able to have bought 3 of them. Never mind, this is what it's all about learning. Always use a lawyer when buying a house. It is no different to buying a house in your own country. If you don´t understand something, ask and find out. After all, you need this to be right! 
So new construction projects in gated communities tick all of my boxes, and some even include a football pitch and a swimming pool, like this one here! 

 Your next option is to buy land then build on it, great idea as you can build your dream home at a fraction of the cost of buying finished house at the beach up the mountains out in the country so many ideas,
When buying land look in the newspapers or talk to the locals best way if you want Ecuadorian land speak to an Ecuadorian simple, any old houses in need of renovation could be a steal also, the coast is popular and will be very expensive in years to come, but you can get land or houses on the beach at great prices, example i was offered a 2 bed apartment on the beach lovely views couldn't fault the location, but you couldn't swing a cat in that place and was asking for 60 grand having a laugh mate, but round the corner was a 5 bed house with gardens fence and great view of the beach asking 70 grand negotiable seems he would take 50 at the time as it was used only for holidays 4 times a year, but it was snapped up like a shot by a local, here is an example of a house built up in the mountains took the lad 5 years to complete, but what a house just outside of Portoviejo in manabi!

 now if this is all too cheap for you then by all means spend the 100´s of thousands on houses with swimming pool  it is all there if you want it  great places on the beach Bahia is becoming extremely popular for foreign people next few years it will be the place to be, but look down the way San Clemente manta San Jacinto just as nice and not to forget Crucita Puerto Lopez and Puerto Cayo the choice is yours,Ecuador expats searching property if you would like any more advice/information about property in manabi check out my buyers guide post

Owning a Car in Ecuador

Hi guys, sorry it´s been a while. A lot has happened since my last post. I have a baby boy now and have my residence all sorted. Life is looking good! 
Anyhow, the subject I am going to talk about today is cars Owning a car in Ecuador, where to buy, dos and don'ts, prices, and so on. Ok, the first car I bought here was a 1998 Ford F150 truck. 

I paid just over 9 grand for it at 190,000 km. Not bad for over here, but painful since I know it's not worth half that. 

The reason being, prices of cars in Ecuador are ridiculous, all to do with tax and import charges etc. I bought the truck from Quito, a place in the south where everyone goes to on a weekend to sell their car. My brother-in-law took me over, I had a look and just had to buy it. I recommend that you travel if you have the opportunity; I only purchased it because I was living in Quito at the time. 

When paying, a bank transfer is the most common method of purchase. Only do this after you have been to a notary. They check all the documents of the owner and car and also your details, such as passport, etc., or cedula if you have one. The cost is normally 25 dollars and you have to pay for this, not the owner of the car. A police check is 5 to 10 dollars, but it's worth the money and your own piece of mind knowing the car is OK. A mechanic would be a good idea. They would also check compression, oil, etc. so you don't waste your money on crap. 

When you have done that and are happy, then buy it.

Owning a car in Euador

There are many ways to buy a car in Ecuador. A couple of websites: 

If you go to www.mercadolibre.com.ec or www.olx.com.ec, you will get a rough idea of the prices on there, but always go for the haggle. You're likely to get 1 or 2 grand deducted. Don't settle for the asking price!  If you are reading this post and it is 2022, then the Facebook marketplace is the best place to search these days. Local newspapers are great as you can get a good deal. Oh, and if you are buying around Christmas time, then I would say that is the best time as most people are desperate for money. If you're lucky, a car worth $10,000 could be yours for $7,900 or less! 

I sold the truck after a year and a half and made the money back, so no losses. not very child-friendly, hence the downsize. It is now a vauxhall corsa c 1.8 or over it is a chevrolet corsa evolution. Prices are daft. I could probably get 3 or 4 in England for the price of 1 over here, but this car is very easy to sell. all Ecuadorians love the corsa There are a lot of them on the road, but selling a truck is a little more difficult; it took me three months. 
Anyhow, any feedback on events in Ecuador, feel free to post them. This is what it's all about. Thanks, hope you enjoyed Owning a car in Ecuador