Ecuadorian Specialties

For a lot of people, Ecuador is a bit of a mystery. Some are hard placed to know where it is, let alone anything about the country itself. Ecuador has lots to offer and not just culturally. So what are some of my favourite Ecuadorian things? Here's a list!

Chocolate: 

Ecuador is one of the premier chocolate producers in the world It boasts one of the most expensive chocolate products that money can buy. (See this Forbes article.) Fortunately, we have an "in" and can get 70% cacao, organic chocolate for $10 (USD) per kilogram...that's right per kilo! Heaven!

Cacao pod...the seeds are what make the magic!

The thing I don't understand is the prevalence of "chocolate coating" for candy etc. Why not just use the real thing?

Pajas Toquillas (aka Panama hats!):

Yeah, they aren't from Panama, at all. They're traditional Andean hats that work particularly well for the weather they experienced while building the Panama Canal. Women are the traditional artisans of these creations  and the process is completely manual. They harvest the special palm leaves, remove the cores, refine the  strips to a uniform size, boil, smoke or dye and finally weave. The true crime is that many makers are paid less than $5 per hat, despite all their labour. A high end paja toquilla can sell for $1,000's in foreign markets. The amazing thing is that an NGO wanted to help the hat makers increase their profit share by removing the middle men who take the hats to the shops, but the artisans (for the most part) felt that that would be irresponsible, as the middle men also needed to make a living. (Crazy, right?)

Coffee:

What's not to love (not talking to you, sisters) about a gorgeous, rich cup of coffee? You can get locally grown (meaning on the coast) organic coffee here for $4 a pound (or 454g, if you prefer metric...actually they usually give you 500g..the whole 1kg=2.2lbs seems to be lost here.) Strangely, instant coffee is very popular here, as it's more affordable and needs less stuff. We like the real stuff, made old-school in an Italian stove top coffee maker. Ron spoils me by warming milk and frothing it for me. Lattes all the way baby!

Roses:

You might be surprised to find out that Ecuador is one of the world's largest rose growers. Almost every rose that you see in North America comes from little Ecuador. You can buy a florist's bunch (25 long stemmed roses, not stripped or de-thorned) for as little as $4. (That's not completely usual, but sometimes it can be done.) 

Jewellery:

You can find intricately beaded necklaces and bracelets in most markets, but the silver stuff is a little harder to find. It's a quiet product, at least for me. It snuck into my conscience slowly and I started noticing stores scattered throughout Cuenca that offered a very specific type of silver jewellery. In many ways, it reminds me of Moorish or Middle Eastern styles, but it has a style all its own. Not being flashy in my accessory choices, I've not indulged, but for those of you that like a statement piece either is an excellent choice. If you prefer something more organic, there is a lot of jewellery made from a certain palm tree seed. Stained with natural dyes, the finished product is a smooth, vibrant piece of wearable art.

Traditional earrings

Very simple versions of beading

Textiles:

This is the land of llama and alpaca wool, not to mention the terribly expensive vicuña wool, as well. While it's hard to actually purchase the skeins here in Cuenca (I have no idea why), you can get your hands on beautifully crafted items around town. Choose from shawls, scarves, hats, gloves and chompas (sweaters). It doesn't stop there you can also purchase blankets. Keep in mind the less expensive the item, the more likely that it's a blend of animal wool and acrylic. That doesn't mean you don't get a good product, you can still benefit from the fluffy comfort of an alpaca blend blanket without forking over your whole travel budget.

Woven scarves

There are tours that you can go on to visit the centres for these crafts or you can wander the city looking for your own treasures. You might even come across something amazing that isn't on this list. The pictures don't do the range of products justice, in all fairness. So, why not come visit and experience what Ecuador has to offer.