It’s the end of the month and here at Fragata, we’re happy to continue to greet you with some of the best
features that Galapagos yields. So far, we’ve covered very interesting
topics in our past blogs, and now we’d like to talk about another great aspect
of the islands, which is their high-end cuisine. Gastronomy in mainland Ecuador has come to be known as one of the best ones in Latin
America and all around the globe, as world-class cooks have elevated typical
Ecuadorian food to the highest of standards.
In the specific case of the archipelago,
not only there’s diversity in the plates, there’s also an element of the
ingredients being locally found or grown, which makes it all the more
intriguing. It is said that any trip to any location won’t be fulfilled unless
you get a taste of that place’s food, and Galapagos doesn’t disappoint,
in that sense.
Maritime specialties
Because the archipelago’s
surroundings are the habitat of an immense amount of sea species, most of the
greatest treats made here are fish-based or shellfish-based. You may be able to
find food parlors which specialize in tuna or salmon, or high-end restaurants
which have lobster as their primary plate contour. Oysters, octopus and squid
are also very common ingredients. Vegetables have a strong presence in the
local cuisine too, with ingredients such as yucca, plantain, avocado,
onion, and chili, all used in all sorts of ways.
One of the most famous preparations
here at Galapagos is ceviche, which is a plate built by the
mixture of fish, squid, crab, octopus, lobster and shrimp, orange or lemon
juice, sliced onions and tomatoes. Ceviche is a rustic dish, served cold
and has a very distinctive flavor, which ranges between spicy and bittersweet.
Difference in flavor for ceviche varies, depending on where you sit down
to eat.
Another maritime specialty is seafood rice, here called arroz marinero, prepared using shrimp, shells,
mussels, garlic, coriander and achiote, which are specially grown in the islands.
These are stewed together, with complimentary condiments and vegetables to help
elevate its flavors and, when ready, they’re mixed with the rice to yield the
succulent dish.
There’s also biche, a soup-type dish
prepared with yucca, plantains, corn, peanut, onions, cilantro and corvina
(Also known as seabass). Its strong aroma and bulky texture, charged with the
flavors of the fish and vegetables make it a worthwhile plate, perfect for a
nice lunch at the edge of any of the islands’ coasts.
Finally, we can’t omit encebollado from these recommendations, as it is another of the most recognizable
dishes in Galapagos. Based on yucca, onion and chilies, and albacore
tuna, encebollados are commonly known as the after-meal for people with
heavy hangovers. As its cousin, the biche soup, this one is also robust and
flavor-charged, meant to energize those weak from a night of drinking and good
times.
A wide variety of delicacies and gustoes
Here at Galapagos, you will
not only enjoy the best seafoods there are on this side of the world,
but also, other types of food that are also pretty interesting. Eaten primarily
on breakfasts, patacones or tostones are small slices of fried
plantain that can be complimented with cheese or meat. A variation of these, chifles, is more of a snack and is prepared by deep-frying more thinly-sliced
plantain.
The islands are periodically
stocked with fruits from mainland, such as guanabana, guava, orange, jocote and
others, which are commonly used by stall carriers to prepare the most delicious batidos (fruit shakes), juices and ice creams! Come try them all! History and nature have favored Galapagos in so many ways, it would be weird if we didn’t have good food to support
everything else! But we do, and it’s amazing! Here at FragataYacht,
we are proud to introduce the islands’ gastronomy and hope you
are able to come taste it yourself after the travel restriction are lifted and
the pandemic is finally over. Until then, be safe and #StayHome!
