Gastonomic market festival celebrates Ecuadorian cuisine: 06-12-2007
December is an exciting month for food lovers heading to Ecuador, with a festival dedicated to the nation's best produce taking place in Mercado America.
The Gastronomic Market Festival sees eight markets from across the capital compete to be the best local food market.
Anyone willing to try the speciality dishes of Ecuador will feel at home, but the menu is quite varied.
Raw fish and lime juice make the dish of ceviche, while yuhuariocro is the more adventurous choice.
A soup made from potato, oregano, peanuts, and sheep's entrails, yuhuariocro is served with avocado, spicy onion and tomato - and a special sheep's blood sauce.
Judges sample the wide range of cuisine on offer to the sound of traditional music and live ballet performances.
Guinea pig is another popular dish in Ecuador that is usually served with grains, particularly rice and corn.
In the rainforests the diet is far more restrictive and the main ingredient is the yuca, or cassava, which is a starchy root that is peeled, boiled and fried and used in many dishes.
Holiday makers can wash it all down with a hit of aguardiente - a liquorice flavoured spirit that is popular across the nation.
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