Itās a Catholic country, butā¦
For decades, census data has defined Ecuador as a majority Catholic country, even into the 21st century. In fact, as of 2012, around 80% of the population identified with the religion. The reason why, of course, is not surprising. The Spanish conquest of the Americas has left the legacy of Catholicism deeply planted in the cultures of many countries.
However, thereās reason to believe that fewer and fewer Ecuadorians find themselves aligning with the religion. Across the world, and especially in the US, organized religion doesnāt seem to have the same grip on people the way it did even one or two generations back.
So, whatās the point?
The point is that the history of the Catholic faith has created deep and lasting cultural implications for Ecuador and many other countries around the world.
And a big part of this is food!
Hereās whatās on the menu
One word: Fanesca
In the weeks leading up to Easter (during Lent), fanesca is eaten often in the company of family and close friends, regardless of religious ideology for many.
Itās a soup made of 12 grains (originally, one grain for each apostle from the New Testament) and salted cod and is notorious for being VERY labor-intensive (think: peeling each grain individually). While every family has their own recipe and tricks, Iāll share with you a recipe from a blogger who has never steered me wrong with Ecuadorian classics ā Laylita.
Multiple kinds of beans, squash, peas, rice and peanuts make the flavor profile of this soup one-of-a-kind.
And not to mention the garnishes! Little empanadas filled with cheese and sugar, fried dough balls, hardboiled egg, cheese, green onion, a sprig of parsley, a little strip of red ajĆ hot pepper, and (though not pictured here) more salted cod.
And for dessert?
A VERY traditional dessert (if not THE MOST traditional) is dulce de higo con queso (candied figs with cheese).
To prepare dulce de higo, figs are picked while still green and underripe, scored and left to soak in water for several days, changing the water every 24 hours. Figs notoriously ooze sticky latex from cut branches and underipe fruit, so the soaking process helps leach it out.
The soaked figs are then candied whole in a syrup made of panela (raw, unrefined sugar) and water. Once again, Iāll defer to Laylitaās recipe for this classic.
I do have a confession though
This year, we opted for a bit of a twist on the classic dessert.
Behold: Japanese cheesecake with candied figs (get it, cheesecake??).
Ours was from Cheesecake Planet in the Chillos Valley. HIGHLY recommended.
Stay tuned for more on Easter in Quito!
My next post will talk about the famous JesĆŗs del Gran Poder procession that takes place on Good Friday every year in the Historic Center of Quito.