Hello and welcome back to Eight Years In! And if you’re new here, welcome! I hope you enjoy what you find and subscribe to the blog for more vegan content. Today we’re talking about veganism in Ecuador—more specifically, what snack options do you have? So without further ado, let’s get into it!

   Recently, I took a trip to Ecuador. And while I enjoyed myself immensely looking at all of the gorgeous architecture, nature, and awesome activities, wherever I go, I bring my veganism with me. And that can make finding food slightly more complicated sometimes. So of course, I wanted to talk to you all about vegan options in Ecuador—both for those of you who are curious and maybe considering visiting, as well as for anyone who lives there and is looking for new treats. 

   I wanted to tackle snacks first, because I do enjoy a good snack here and there, especially when I’m traveling. You won’t always have time to sit down and eat a meal, and in Ecuador, that’s no problem for a vegan. So let’s talk about vegan snacks in Ecuador, shall we? 

Fruit!

   Ecuador has very fertile land and that means tons of fresh produce. You can also get it for very reasonable prices if you go to the smaller stores often referred to as fruterías. I will be making another post in the future about fruits I tried in Ecuador, but for now, my general advice is to try all the fruits you can if you go to Ecuador. They’re awesome and you pretty much can’t go wrong. 

Bread

   In the morning, you might want to get something at your local panadería, and you’re in luck because in Ecuador, most of them have what they’ll call pan de agua or pan de sal. This can be a variety of different savory breads that are made simply and artisanal with no milk or eggs. All you have to do is ask if they have a bread without any milk, eggs or cheese and they will be able to point you in the right direction. 

   I had a variety of different breads, some white, some whole grain, and all of them were absolutely delicious. You really can’t go wrong with freshly baked bread. Not to mention, it’s extremely affordable compared to bakery bread in the US. Believe me when I say this—if you kind of like bread and are going to Ecuador, do yourself a favor and visit a couple panaderías. 

Chips

Natural chips

There are lots of different kinds of chips for you to try. Firstly, if you haven’t tried chifles (fried plantain chips) or fried yuca, now is your chance. Both are delicious and will occupy the same space as potato chips in your cravings, although they do have potato chips as well, if you’re really looking for something familiar. 

Puffs

They also have many different “puffs”. While some like Kachitos aren’t vegan, I found many that are, whether they’re based with quinoa or soy, if you’re willing to read the ingredients, you’ve got a lot of options. 

Doritos

If you’re a vegan in the US (and eat junk food), you’re probably used to looking for spicy sweet chili Doritos by now. Well, the bad news is Ecuador doesn’t seem to have those. They do, however, have a new flavor for you to try called Lemon Remix. The flavors are very characteristically Ecuadorian, with lemon, salt and ahí flavoring, and are very simple but balanced. The chip itself tastes a lot more like a corn chip than Doritos do in the US, and one look at the ingredients list tells me that these, although still junk food, are marginally healthier than the Doritos we’re used to in the United States. 

Sweets

Chocolate 

When I think Ecuador, I think chocolate. They export a serious amount of cacao for the world and their chocolate is among the best in the world when they make it themselves. As far as veganism goes, it’s a lot easier to find chocolate there. Because it is such a natural and local product to them, they make it simply and deliberately. What I mean is, most of the dark chocolate is vegan. Unlike in the US, where a lot of it still has whey and milk solids added in, Ecuador likes to keep its dark chocolate free from milk, in general. 

   A well-known brand for high quality chocolate (as well as tons of vegan flavors) is Pacari. You can get a small bar for around two dollars, and you can try flavors you’ve never heard of or look for something more familiar, like sea salt. They also show you right on the box what award that flavor has won, so if it says gold, you can bet it’s going to be pretty good. 

Panela 

   So, here’s the deal. If you like brown sugar, you need to try panela. It’s brown sugar made from sugar cane, and in Ecuador they use it to make all kinds of things sweet. You can find peanuts, grains, or even some kinds of legumes (in my case, fava beans), cooked in panela to sweeten them and then served up as a snack. These crunchy sweets are delicious and make me think of rice cakes or caramel corn, and there are a lot of different ones to try. 

Melcocha 

   And then there’s Melcocha. Also made with panela, this is what I can only explain as an Ecuardorian taffy. It stretches just like taffy, and I’m told they make it through generally the same pulling process. The difference is, while often taffy isn’t vegan (due to eggs or gelatin or sometimes even milk), Melcocha usually is. While it’s true they could put other things in there to make different flavors, the base is vegan, so generally, any Melcocha you find will be too. But make sure the stuff you’re buying is fresh! Squish it to make sure you’re getting a taffy consistency instead of something more like hard candy. I mean, you could eat it that way, but it’s not the experience you’re looking for. 

Helado de hielo/agua

   This translates into ice cream from ice/water, and I would basically call it popsicles or sorbet. There are a decent amount of vegan ice cream options if you like popsicles and sorbet. You’re pretty much out of luck if you’re looking for Ben and Jerry’s nondairy or something similar, but if you’re hot and looking for a refreshing treat, try one of the many fruity flavors of helado de hielo/agua!

Galletas

Who doesn’t love a good snack cookie? And like in the US, a lot of snack cookies in Ecuador are vegan. So try some new flavors of cream wafers, cinnamon or coconut cookies! They’re delicious and vegan, and a lot of them, you can’t find in other places.

Put it in lemon and salt!

   I wanted to add this one because although it’s not a specific suggestion, it is very much a habit and a cultural perspective on snacking in Ecuador, and something that vegans can easily participate in as well. 

   If you’ve got something—really, anything—stick it in lemon and salt and eat it. There’s your snack. You can do this with any sort of beans, fruits, vegetable or other starch that you eat, and it’s very satisfying. Got a fruit that’s not quite ripe yet but you’re hungry? Stick it with some lemon and salt. Random portion of cooked beans in your fridge? Lemon and salt. Served a dry starch at a restaurant? Lemon and salt (or limes; they often have limes that you can ask for on the side). This strategy works across the board and is what I would consider the backbone of traditional snacking in Ecuador. 

   Now, while I did a fair amount of snacking in Ecuador, I also want to talk about the food itself. So stay tuned for the meal edition of “What’s Vegan in Ecuador?”, coming next week. Thank you for listening to my suggestions for vegan snacks in Ecuador. If you liked what I had to say, subscribe to the blog for more vegan content. And as usual, have a great day!