Since we live in the "Mariscal" district, otherwise known as "grindolandia", the culinary options are widely varied. There are Indian places, hot-dog stands, pizzerias, burger joints, all kinds of options. As far as Ecuadorian food, it consists mostly of shrimp, rice, beans, fried fish, bread, and potato soup.
We avoid the uncooked vegetables when we go out to eat, as the sanitation standards here are not up to the standards our systems are used to. So, we buy bananas, oranges, and canned vegetables at the "Supermaxi"... Eventually we will need to eat a fresh salad, and have asked around for a good method of disinfecting the raw vegetables we can buy at the grocery store. On the advice of the owner of the Reina Victoria Pub, we think we have found an effective method of cleaning vegetables. In fact, we are thinking about spaghetti and salad tonight!
Even though we are very careful about what we consume, the food often upsets our fragile systems, so we eat a TON of bread... there are "panaderias" everywhere, and a basketful of fresh baked "pan" costs a small handful of change... (Eileen loves the cinnamon rolls).
The fire roasted guinea pig will have to wait until we venture out into the more rural areas. Quito is a huge city, with about 1.6 million residents, and a sizable "gringo" population, so as long as we stick to "la Mariscal" we don't have much trouble keeping ourselves well fed and safe.
We wish we could post more pictures on this Blog, but we are very cautious about walking around with fancy digital devices on display after hearing of the mugging/robbery of some residents of our former hostel. The local punks do check us out pretty hard, and I think would take advantage of any perceived weakness, so I wear my USMC boots (which add a couple inches) and we keep our valuables well hidden.
Well, i'm getting hungry, so I think we will head up to the grocery and see about some comida.
Hasta luego!
-Bert
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Do as they do in Mexico: 8 drops of water per liter of water, submerge veggies in water for 15 minutes.
ReplyDeleteYou should at least take some pictures of your hostel so we can see your living situation :) I was just missing you today!
ReplyDeleteInteresting, the shrimp are big? Is there is other shell fish? What kind of swimming fish?
ReplyDeleteWhat spices are most common? Is there a lot of heat(various peppers)in the cooking? Is there much dairy? If so is it mostly goat, or sheep? Which reminds me is there lots of mutton on the menu?
Regarding the local punks, tell me about that, and are they aggressive in anyway or just watch? Travel in groups? More than 3 or 4 and I would be worried too!
ReplyDeleteDad, the shrimp comes in all different sizes. I haven't seen much other shellfish, and the "swimming" fish is white and not that flavorful, tilapia I think. The other meats are primarily chicken, beef, and pork.
ReplyDeleteThe punks aren't any worse than the kids in Portland, just shorter. I've got thick boots, a sharp blade, and a hard head, we don't have much to worry about.
ReplyDelete