yucca chicha jungle trekking

Delicious Exotic Flavors of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the 5 best 🌿

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Ecuador is a vibrant and diverse country, full of cultures, experiences, and landscapes. Each region of the country carries its delicious typical foods and each dish has its own history and magic. On this occasion, I will tell you about the most extravagant and delicious exotic flavors that you can try in the Amazon region, the Ecuadorian jungle.

Dare to explore the most curious culinary experiences of the South American country, prepare your palate, and enter this adventure.

The exotic chontacuro

tradicional dishes in amazonas

The chontacuro larva is one of the most common delicious exotic flavors in the Amazon. Its fat and juicy appearance causes curiosity for foreign and local visitors who dare to eat this delicious snack. There are different ways to eat them, both raw and roasted, depending on what the consumer likes the most. Many visitors prefer to eat them marinated with orange or lemon juice and cooked over charcoal.

Due to its nutritional properties, locals eat it raw as it is believed to also serve as medicine. It has a juicy texture and much of it tastes like coconut.

You can find this gastronomic wonder in the provinces of Napo, Orellana, and Pastaza.

Chicha of Yuca

yucca chicha jungle trekking

Local communities make this traditional drink and most of them drink it. It may sound crazy but the process in which it is made is by chewing and spitting. Simply, the yuca is harvested and cooked in boiling water. After that, it is crushed with large paddles to obtain a smoother consistency while it is still hot in the container. While the Yuca is beaten, indigenous women proceed to chew it until the consistency becomes liquid and spit it parallel back to the hot container. This process is repeated several times until all the yuca is in the consistency of puree, it is also mixed with water until it reaches the consistency.

Saliva enzymes make starch into sugars which bacteria or wild yeast ferment into alcohol, all this process in hand with the saliva results in a sweet and mildly sour chicha. And within a couple of hours, you can drink it fresh. If you are very fragile, I suggest you do not watch the process to enjoy the drink more. It tastes good!

 Roasted Piranha 

Napo river Area

This classical dish with origins from the province of Orellana is one of the most curious that consumers want to try. The Piranha is a carnivorous species of fish that lives in the zone of the Napo River. Locals proceed to fish this creature and then start turning it into an exquisite dish.  Once the fish is caught, it is washed well. On the other hand, the banana leaves must also be washed too. 

After completing this step, cut the torso of the fish into several parts to ensure it cooks thoroughly inside. Add salt and pepper to enhance the taste. For a unique twist, incorporate a vegetable smoothie with garlic on the leaves to boost the flavor of the piranha. After completing this step, wrap the banana leaves around the fish, tie them with a cord, and cook on the grill over low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. It is crazy to think that you can taste an animal taken from horror movies in real life. However, it is a cool anecdote that you can tell your family or friends.

Big Butt Ants 

 

The big butt ants are one of the most delicious appetizers of the exotic flavors of the Ecuadorian Amazon, to give you an idea it is like eating crispy popcorn. Its preparation process is quite simple, however, it cannot be done frequently since the season of ants occurs approximately twice a year and they are eaten in September and October. 

You can serve this appetizer raw or fried, you just have to remove the wings and legs of each ant before putting them in your mouth. Usually to make it crispy they are eaten fried, they are washed with salt and water and then they are dropped in a pot or frying pan with a little bit of oil, after that they are fried until they reach that consistency. You can serve the dish with yuca, roasted banana, or a traditional drink like chicha or any other.

Frog Legs

 

Frog legs are a well-known dish served in the province of Zamora Chinchipe. It is like eating chicken and the taste is quite similar. The presentation in which this dish is eaten is usually breaded to give it a crunchy and delicious texture. 

The process is not complex either. Once you have the frog legs, you season them with pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Then you dip them in beaten eggs and finally cover them with flour and a little sweet paprika powder. After this, you put them in a basin of boiling oil to fry them and serve them with salad and rice. Many people want to try this meal because of its outstanding flavor.

The Amazonía Ecuatoriana offers a remarkable culinary journey filled with unique and adventurous flavors. Each food and drink reflects local customs and the jungle’s vast biodiversity, from the unusual chontacuro caterpillar to the interesting chicha of yuca. Amazon offers exceptional food, including roasted piranha, crispy large butt ants, and soft frog legs. Take a chance on Ecuador’s unusual cuisine—each bite is a taste of its rich history.

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This agency helped us plan a memorable trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Cynthia was our coordinator, she was timely and professional with all communication and detailed from beginning to end. Cynthia was able to include everything we wanted to experience and open to our feedback to help create the final itinerary. The daily excursions were great, especially in Ecuador where we had Danny as our guide and Luis as our driver. Luis was safe and timely in all transportation and Danny went above and beyond at every step. At one point I wasn't feeling well and Danny went out of his way to find me some medicine. Danny was also extremely knowledgeable on everything.. history, the agriculture, the people.. 10/10 guide! Overall a great agency to work with!

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Monica from Responsible Travel Ecuador…

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Adi Parreno junio 27, 2024

Stunning experience

Incredible organization specially from Karen, who provided us all necessary information and tips for our travel. She is very professional and polite person. We recommend her services.

sandy pico mayo 31, 2024

Incredible organization specially from Karen, who provided us all necessary information and tips for our travel. She is very professional and polite person. We recommend her services.

sandy pico mayo 31, 2024
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I highly recommend Responsible Travel Ecuador. They are very professional and flexible to organize the perfect trip for you.Gabriela organized the trip for us to mainland, Amazon and Galapagos islands and she was excellent.She did everything for us and the entire itinerary was a unique experience. Our guide Wellington on the mainland was very helpful and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed our time with him!! We enjoyed every activity and will definitely return in the future to this beautiful country!!

George Liskas febrero 15, 2024
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Andres Garzon febrero 3, 2024
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Gaby did an incredible job helping me plan a trip to Yasuni National Park, Quito, and the Galápagos Islands. She took all of the stress out of finding good guides and all of the logistics involved in flights, lodging, transportation, and all of the other planning aspects of a big two week trip. Excellent communication with fast responses any time I had questions leading up to and during the trip as well. Highly recommend!

Adam Conard diciembre 13, 2023
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The best of the best!

Amazing experience! Definitely recommended.

Dave Khandros diciembre 1, 2023

Ethic, friendly and professional company

They are a super friendly and professional company that, as their name says, is working in an ethical and green way, which is super important in these times.

Carla Mazzini diciembre 1, 2023

Paul our agent was wonderful; very friendly and went above and beyond to help us organise a dream holiday.

Bess Murray noviembre 4, 2023
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Les Galapagos c'est le paradis !

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Douglas octubre 7, 2023

I planned a trip to South America at the last minute, and Gaby was incredible! She created an amazing itinerary with me where I was able to go to Quito, the Galapagos islands, and Cuzco Peru. It was a truly unforgettable trip, and I would strongly recommend that you consider Gaby for your next South American adventure. She can help as little or as much as you need and is extremely responsive. I am a big fan of hers now!

Gigi Z octubre 5, 2023
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Cuentan con paquetes muy buenos y se adaptaron a mis necesidades para viajar en crucero a galápagos

Andrés Perugachi agosto 31, 2023
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Felipe Villegas agosto 25, 2023
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Gran tour en barco de última hora

Fue una reserva de última hora de un tour en barco por Galápagos y nos ayudaron en todo momento. Grandes profesionales y el tour fue maravilloso

David B. julio 19, 2023

Outstanding service

Responsible Travel Ecuador helped us find the outfit that met our needs in our visit to Galapagos. Interaction with our agent was easy and effective. She was really responsive and provided us with all the information we needed - also suggestions for further visits in Ecuador's mainland. I definitely would recommend Responsible Travel Ecuador for any travel needs in that beautiful country.

Nuria julio 17, 2023

Una experiencia inolvidable con Responsible Travel: Descubriendo la magia de Ecuador

Responsible Travel es una agencia de viajes que ha dejado una huella imborrable en mi corazón. Recientemente tuve la oportunidad de explorar las maravillas de Ecuador a través de su excelente servicio, y no puedo dejar de elogiar su enfoque responsable y comprometido con la sostenibilidad. Desde el momento en que me puse en contacto con ellos, su equipo demostró una gran atención y pasión por brindar experiencias auténticas y respetuosas con el entorno local.

Gabi Ramos junio 29, 2023

Fantastic Experience!

I did multiple family treks with this company and the service is impeccable. Staff always has a smile and big energy to inspire you to expand your horizons. A big shout to everyone and thank you for such a wonderful experience!

Daniel Larrea junio 27, 2023

La millor experiencia per Sudamerica va…

La millor experiencia per Sudamerica va ser a L' Ecuador amb aquesta experimentada empresa que em ajudar abans, durant i despres del viatge. Totalment recomendada

Santiago Cardenas junio 27, 2023

Exceptional trip to Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands

Excellent & professional services! Highly recommended.

Alexander junio 27, 2023
Emilia Assa abril 12, 2023
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We have booked a two day tour to Cotopaxi and Quilotoa, a 5 days tour in the amazonia and also arranged some private transfers with the team. I have discussed everything with Lucia who has been very helpful, always answering on time and providing the best options. Would recommend the travel agency.

Iulian Petcu marzo 5, 2023
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