Ecuadorian Snacks

The humitas are the favorite Ecuadorian snack and they are basically the local term for tamales. The recipe includes dough, made with fresh grated corn meal, butter, eggs and flour. The dough is wrapped and tied in cornhusks, which are steamed. This snack is found in many Latin regions, including Argentina, but under many versions. Dumplings are very frequently eaten and they have different fillings: cheese, eggs, meat or vegetables. The bolon de verde is a dumpling recipe that includes raw plantain, chicharron (fried pork skin) or sometimes cheese. This dumpling is usually eaten while drinking black coffee. The unripe plantain is also used for the empanados de verde, which are stuffed with cheese and then fried. Ecuadorian sandwiches are best represented by sanduche de chancho, which includes broiled pork leg, crunchy bread, pork juice and red onion sauce. A lighter snack is the fresh broad nean salad, locally known as the ensalada de habas.