Comida, comida, comida

So I know everyone wants to hear about the food here! Typically every morning I wake up and eat some fresh fruit, mainly papaya! I also have my tinto (small cup of coffee)! Sometimes I have an egg or bread or even yogurt and granola! I also have fresh fruit juice that is blended every day! Pretty typical breakfast...except for the juice maybe!

For lunch I have to fend for myself! I usually go just outside the school to some fresh fruit/vegetable stands and panderia so that I can make a vegetable sandwich! The fruit and vegetables here are so fresh and soooo delicious! AVACADOS ARE TO DIE FOR HERE! My favorite! I usually spend a $1 for lunch everyday. There are also a few small restaurants around that I personally haven't explored yet since my stomach has been having a hard time adjusting to Ecuadorian food. However many of the students have been and they tell me is it pretty good food and a verrrryyyy large amount for only $1.50. Lunch here is considered the largest and most important meal of the day. You eat the most during lunch time.

For dinner I eat with my family at home everyday. It is really strange to me because a lot of the times when the food is served you are supposed to start eating right away even if nobody else is at the table. Many of the times I eat with only two members of the family at a time and each day the two people are different! So my meal everyday for dinner consists of soup first, then rice with either beans or pasta. I rarely get meat with my meal and if I do it is a very small portion of pork, tuna, or chicken. Since potatoes originated in Ecuador, there are almost always potatoes in the meal somehow but mainly in the soup. I sometimes get tired of the meals because they stay pretty consistent. However, I look most forward to the amazing fresh fruit juices you get with every meal! So good!

However, I did go to a ceviche restaurant yesterday and it was amazing! I absolutely loved it! So delicious! Before I came to Ecuador I thought I would be eating ceviche and cuy (guinea pig) all the time but honestly it seems the more I compare what other students eat in their houses the typical meal is soup, then rice and beans/pasta. I plan to go out to eat to try more of the food I heard about before I came even though it really isn't typical Ecuadorian food but more specialty food.

Below are some pictures mainly from fancy restaurants I have been to but others are from my lunches everyday!

Eating an avocado sandwich!
Fresh bread, avacado, and tomato
Fruit that isn't found in the United States that tastes like a mix between pomegranate, orange, and papaya maybe...It is called a Granadilla!
One of the fresh juices that is typical of what I would drink everyday! This one is pineapple!
Instead of chips and salse you get dried plantain chips and popcorn to start!
This is called ahi! It is sooo delicious! I want to make it in the US for friends/family but I need a fruit called tomate de arbol (tree tomato) that is not found in the US apparently.
This was the first meal I had in Ecuador at CIMAS (my school)! Potato soup! Delicious!
Ceviche de palma
Empandas of beans and rice and the other with chicken!

One of the fancier meals with chicken in the middle with corn underneath it, potatoes, toasted corn, and a carmelized banana!

Another fancy meal! Bistec (steak), potatoes, vegetable salad, and rice!

So this sums up my food adventures so far! Still need to try cuy and some other more adventurous foods here! Might go to coast this weekend which I heard has some delicious and very different food! More seafood too! Can't wait!

As everyone says here CIAO! Until next time...