Loja Ecuador Food: 10 Awesome Things to Eat!
Vložit
- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- Loja Ecuador has some of the best food in the country - La Comida Lojana. There are some dishes like chaunfaina, cecina and the Lojano Tamal that you'll want to travel for.
Loja is the last city in Ecuador before the Peruvian border. This is considered the cultural capital of Ecuador. It's famous for its musicians and artists and it was also the first Green City in Ecuador with a very aggressive recycling program.
It's a beautiful city, colonial style similar to Cuenca but it's smaller. And also I'm here to check out the Comida Lojana. So Loja has some specific dishes here that are really good. Number one, I'm here for the coffee.
The tamal Lojano is a bit different here. So traditional Ecuador food uses a tamal made with maiz sabroso which is a corn starch based flour. But the tamal Lojano uses a different dough so it's actually just ground corn. So similar to humitas but in that case it's actually the sweet corn called choclo.
At the Tamal Lojano they have three different kinds of tamales. You can get chicken, pork, or also quesillo, which is a fresh cheese.
Mercato Central Commercial in Loja and there were so many things that I want to eat here. I came to this one spot Comedor 413 because it had so many people here. I came for chaunfaina and then also a bit of the cecina.
Chaunfaina is rice that's cooked with a sofrito, but the most important thing is they actually use offal. All of the innards of the pig that would normally be thrown out. And this is a side dish that you'll get, I got it with cecina.
Ecuadorian horchata is a drink that's made with different herbs, often some kind of pink flower petal to give it its color. You can drink it in the market even though you can't drink water here because it is boiled. So I do feel comfortable drinking that. It almost tastes like a pink lemonade here.
I came to Loja to eat two different soups both called repe, which means unripe banana. So in Loja they have the smallish banana that you can eat ripe. And that's how the rest of the country eats it. Or in Loja they also eat it unripe. Which is very unusual for other Ecuadorians because the unripe banana they might feed their livestock.
So these two different soups are interesting because the repe con arveja con guineo is like a kind of like a split pea soup and then it also has cubes of this unripe banana that is uncooked. So this is raw unripe banana in this repe.
Another Ecuadorian soup: repe blanco, boiled green banana, pound it into a mash, mixed with potato and quesillo.
There's an Ecuadoran custom that if you go to Loja, you must stop off for some sweets or dulces in the market. Traditional sweets from Loja are rustic, they're made with sugar cane, molasses, simple ingredients.
Some traditional options are bocadillo, so it's a square of molasses made with peanuts. It's the signature sweet of Loja. You can also get peanuts covered with sugar, fig in syrup. You can also get roscon.
I think the best thing to do actually is just to get the mixed bag because then you're bound like one of them.
When traveling in Loja if you can't get everywhere in the province head to Somos Loja off the main square, which is a cooperative artisanal shop that also has an incredible coffee shop in Ecuador selling 19 types of coffee from Loja. And you can try 10 of the coffees from Loja for $1/cup.
Emporio Lojana is such a great spot with coffee, food, artisanal beer, but also the coolest thing is the signature drink trino, which means something that will make you sing. It means tweet.
// MORE ABOUT ECUADOR//
You can find all of my best tips at www.baconismagic.ca/Ecuador
Need an English speaking guide in Ecuador? I hired my friend Andres to tour the country, he's got an SUV and is a licensed national guide. The best way to reach him is on Whatapp: +593 98 711 9550 and second best by email at andrivet77 AT gmail.com.
His family also owns a series of small hotels in Cuenca called La Casa Cuencana and you can book directly with him.
SUBSCRIBE to my Ecuador Travel Tips Newsletter:
bit.ly/EcuadorTips
// MY EQUIPMENT //
Camera: amzn.to/3m6I4E5
Wide Angle Lens Hack: amzn.to/3on9KHp
Drone: amzn.to/2Y2tg1n
Mic: amzn.to/3F4PfFx
Handheld Tripod: amzn.to/2XWqPgc
// GET THE BEST FOOD + TRAVEL TIPS //
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/FoodTravelNews
Like the music? Here's what I use: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
My travel insurance: bit.ly/nomadcoverage
Follow my other social channels here:
Instagram: / ayngelina
Facebook: / baconismagic
Blog: www.baconismagic.ca
00:00 Loja Ecuador Travel Guide
01:06 Tamal Lojano
03:35 Loja Market Food
04:00 Loja Chaunfaina and Cecina
07:11 Repe blanco and repe con arveja con guineo
10:08 Do They Eat Dog in Loja
11:09 Desserts in Loja
12:09 Loja Coffee
13:33 Emporio Lojano
#Loja #Ecuador #comidatipica
SUBSCRIBERS: 4560
Love Ecuador? You'll adore these Ecuador t-shirts: ecuador.myspreadshop.com/
I appreciate the level cultural knowledge you impart to us! I learned so much about Ecuadoran food culture (particularly relevant to Loja).
I find people here are so open about sharing how things are made or interesting facts. The woman at the market gave me a glass instead of plastic cup so I could show the Horchata.
Que bello volver a recordar a través de este medio, la rica gastronomía lojana.
Que genial que de a conocer nuestra ciudad por otros lugares me alegra ver a otras personas valorando nuestra ciudad 😄
Me encanta Loja, quisiera volver para explorar más.
Nuestro Pais Ecuador con una superficie de 257.000km2, y una poblacion cercana a los 18 millones de habitantes es uno de los 7 paises megadiversos del mundo, bienvenida a nuestro pais humildemente tenemos la region costa, region sierra, la region amazonica u Oriente, y la region insular de Galapagos , a la vez estas regiones se dividen en 24 provincias y 221 ciudades o cantones como popularmente se los conoce
Si tienes razon!
I am Lojano and this video deals very well with traditional food.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that
Hi there! Beautiful city my brother is actually visiting Ecuador soon and Loja is one of his destinations. Safe travels 🙏 ❤
Well Loja is beautiful, I am sure he will love it!
I am from Mumbai, INDIA. I love your vídeos very much. Thank you for giving useful information . U r vídeos are. Earth . down. Love from India.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you so much. I have a video from Mumbai last Spring. What a wonderful city.
I loved your video, very explanatory, thank you for showing beautiful city, I have been away for a few years and your video made me connect with my most primary memories, places, sensations, flavors, el tamal, el repe, los bocadillos, el cantaclaro, etc. Thanks again👍🏼
Oh thank you so much for the kind words. I really loved Loja and would love to see more of it.
Another awesome video, and just in time. I just touched down in Quito, Loja next.😄
I was trying to get it done in time! Where else are going? I have about 25 videos to edit right now
@@ayngelina not sure yet, I just wanna get settled into my hotel and then take it from there. Get three months so plenty of time to mull.
@@highlanderabroad884 as someone a month in, the time goes so fast! But I've got lots more video to come as I just spent two weeks along the coast and had amazing food.
I was the last month there eating in the Mercado Central. Love Loja, so clean, its people are friendly, the hotels very affordable and nice.
It's no chaufaina but chanfaina. Great work love your videos.
So I thought it was chanfaina as well, but several people in Loja - including where I had it - said in Loja it's spelled and pronounced chaufaina. It was spelled that way on her sign and others so I figured if that's what she calls it that's what I will call it.
Very informative. Also made me very hungry. Thanks for another great video!
Thank you so much!
Fantastic video, excellent quality & production. Your video has inspired me to consider my travels abroad should include Ecuador and a stop in Loja in the near future.
Loja is such a gorgeous city and Ecuador is so diverse. Let me know if you have any questions!
New friend here watching from Philippines.
Welcome! I actually had plans to go to the Philippines as I lived there in 1999 but looks like I'll need to wait until 2022.
Philippines is beautiful. But my mission in life has changed . I help homeless veterans and find them help. I was working in the mindanao jungle training with Philippine special forces. Those guys have so much heart. I would follow anyone of them in battle . Much respect
Loja's food, the world's best food!!!
It’s so delicious
Ahhh dang I wanna try Ecuadorean food!! You have so much knowledge!!
It's a short flight....
Se nota que son gente muy aseada y lindas personas
Claro que si
Fantástico Ecuador ❤
Claro que si
Thank you for the great footage of Loja streets! I've watched a lot of videos of Loja as I want to live there and your shots are very clear and wide and it looks even better than I had thought.
Oh thanks so much! After I visited Loja I went to Vilcabamba and Zaruma so you may want to check out those videos. The drive from Loja to Vilcabamba is stunning.
Love your video. 😀
Thanks so much. I'm sharing two videos a week in Ecuador while I'm here.
Wonderful video, I love the food in Ecuador. I discovered your channel from the Expats Facebook page, great work!
Oh thanks so much. I also love the food here. We're lucky to have so much diversity.
Awesome Video!
Thank you so much!
Interesante video. Delicioso café 😊
Gracias, muy gentil
My mom used to make lentil soup and it was amazing.
Did you get her recipe?
@@ayngelina I can ask her.
@@theinkawarrior7649 that would be amazing. Thank you!
Great city we’re here to build an Ecolodge! Paradise
Sounds great! In Loja province?
@@ayngelinaIn loja City 10 minutes from town!
Another exciting showing of your stuff...like I said before you show good vives and enthusiasm..
Great stuff…I’ll be there !
When are you going?
Now because of you I want to try the mercado food so bad, nice video!
You won't regret it!
Can't wait to get there ❤
Are you planning a visit or a move?
@@ayngelina move permanently, but next spring
Good morning, when traveling between smaller cites are the air reservations made through agencies there on the spot as opposed to reservations made with plenty of time in advance like possibly in the states 🤷🏻♂️
No you can do the regional flights a week in advance. The rates are pretty stable so you may miss a sale but it’s not like paying double for a flight as in the states.
Thanks Angelina. Another wonderful video. I was wondering what the coffee tastes like there? I bet it would be awesome
Thank you so much! You know Ecuador is a small country but you can really taste the difference in various regions. Some have like a chocolately undertone, others are more fruity. It often depends on what grows in the region. But what I really like is that it's not over roasted really bitter coffee like we often have. I'm hoping later next month I can do a video visiting a coffee farm.
All the Ecuador travel + food videos here --> bit.ly/Ecuador_Videos Where should I go next?
Baja California 🤔 …. I’d be glad to shadow you but I’m thinking of driving … i can’t find anyone who has the same ‘bucket list’ 🤷🏻♂️
Hello Ayngelina! Nice video! Delicious food as usual 😁👍🏻. I was there last month, couldn't try all those things, but I really enjoyed the city. It is very beautiful! Hope you enjoyed everything! BTW, I loved the fact that you ate in the central market and liked it 😊.
My first choice is always the market 💜. Was there anything I missed that you think I should try next time?
@@ayngelina Regarding food, the "gallina cuyada". I couldn't try it either as I got too late to the place they recommended to me. Next time!
@@LuisVPazmino I don't understand the fuss of that dish. The seasoning of cuy differs there's no one recipe for it and yes chicken cooked over charcoal is amazing but you can get that elsewhere. It seems like it's a dish for people afraid of cuy, which I'm not.
@@ayngelina Haha. We'll know when we try it 😅. There is a certain standard (or at least what the majority in the countryside) for cuy seasoning as per what I have tried down here in the south, not sure about other regions.
Great video, I would add Guatita to the list
I love guatita and have it included on my traditional coastal foods in Ecuador video 😊
Loja is a MUST … it that the restaurant disco I hear in the back 🤔 …. or the guide dog 😏
Hahaha I’m not sure.
Could you do videos on what it's like to live there on a daily basis, cost of living, cost of moving, visa laws, freedom of expression and so on?
Sure I can do some of those. I didn't move here as I'm nomadic but I can share more about costs and culture.
me gusto que hiciera un video sobre mi provincia
Gracias que recomiendas para el próximo?
good video.
Thank you so much! I'm sharing two videos a week from Ecuador, next Thursday is Zaruma.
I like your style you know so much about my birth country...
Thank you so much Rafael, it means so much to me when Ecuadorians like my videos because I want to share their culture properly.
Hi Ayngelina. I enjoy watching all your videos. I'am curious to know what name brand of lipstick 💄 do you use? Every time you eat all those delicious food your lipstick never fades.
Hahaha you should see the inside of my mask! I put it on just before I shoot. One is Revlon super lustrous in Love that Pink colour and another one is cover girl. But if I'm wearing a true red that is from MAC and is basically a lipstain that never comes off. I'd like to get that in some other shades.
show us on the MAP Loja ! good reviews
I included where it was on the map 😳
@@ayngelina Oops , mia culpa .
@@rorybellamy2533 you can count on the map in videos 😉
Lo linda ciudad
Claro que si
I am going to be in Loja next week. Gotta visit all of these places, put skip the offal. I had a bad experience with cichulineas.
In my experience every place is different, so maybe you would like it in Loja 😉 but seriously let me know what you think.
@@ayngelina Will do!
Otro plato típico de allá y les faltó era el molloco! Saludos!
Donde puedo traer? En el mercado?
@@ayngelina solo se que en la provincia del oro y en Loja se hacen, ni yo lo he probado pero es fácil hacerlo, en CZcams esta la receta, se usa pasta de maní (no es mantequilla de maní) y platano pinton
Es lo mismo que un bolon de maní o diferente? Mi próximo video del miércoles es de Zaruma y tenia un bolon de maní.
@@ayngelina ohh puede ser que el que dices! Seguro que si!
@@johannagranda5734 me recuerda a una galleta de mantequilla de maní
The thing that I notice is,that you describe each food without error.
Oh I'm so glad it looks that way. You have no idea how many takes I shoot before I get it right.
I'd like to see the Gold province. Their food, their culture.
Video coming soon from Zaruma. I went specifically to eat Tigrillo where it originated and it was incredible.
Hola Ayngelina soy de la ciudad de Ambato Ecuador mas o menos de unos 500.000 habitantes capital de la provincia de Tungurahua , esta ciudad es famosa por su comida ya que muchos platos de la comida tipica de Ecuador pertenecen a esta ciudad espero que algun dia nos visites
sí, fui el último día de carnaval pero no hizé un video. Entonces Ambato está en mi lista de videos de otoño
I would like to go to Somos Loja, but it does not show up in a Google maps search, and the Facebook link from their page goes nowhere near a main square. Since Loja has many squares, can you tell me which one, and on which street? Thanks!
It's on Parque Central, if you're looking at the church it's on the left - the corner of Jose Antonio Eguiguren and Bernado Valdivieso
@@ayngelina Gracias!
@@davidc1961utube you are right that was not easy to find. Let me know how you like it.
Even the coffee looks good down there. How is the coffee there?
The coffee is definitely the best in the country. We didn't have a single bad cup. Everywhere had fantastic coffee. And believe me that's not true in all of a Ecuador.
Loja is my old province I traded for Alberta
When you mentioned there were no street dogs, I immediately thought of Cotacachi, north of Quito if you are not familiar with the city. There are literally hundreds of street dogs there, didn’t bother me as I love dogs. The thing that surprised me the most, is that these dogs don’t bother anyone, they coexist peacefully with the people of that city. In Thailand however, the street dogs want to eat you 😹.
Yes I have a video from the Cotacachi market but I’d like to explore more of the city.
I didn’t notice aggressive street dogs in Thailand but that is scary!
Same thing for Mindo. The dogs roam freely, don't appear to be starving, and go about their doggy affairs without bothering anyone.
Where are you from??...great video👍👍
Thanks so much. I'm Canadian 😊
@@ayngelina ...the way you explaned , very detailed,..I though you were Ecuatorian...😁👍👍
@@javiervasquez5088 That is an incredible compliment, but my background is Irish and Italian. That said if you watch my Cuenca Tour video you'll see my friend Andres who is a tour guide here. I hired him for private tours focused on culinary and he knows that I like to understand all of the background of a dish.
@@ayngelina ...thanks for sharing you wonderfull experience in Ecuador,..now I'm gonna have to watch all your vídeos 👍...God bless you, and good look with your adventures.
@@javiervasquez5088 thank you so much!
Is loja a remote town
P.s Can I get weetabix for brkfst there😊
Hahaha if you're looking for all the comforts of home Cuenca is probably your best bet as I am pretty sure it has the largest expat population, although along with it come expat prices. Loja is definitely more remote, it has a much smaller Expat population. Unlike Cuenca which has an airport, the "Loja airport" is actually in Catamayo, which I think is about 45 minutes away. But it's also a beautiful city, which is a leader in environmental initiatives and fantastic food.
@@ayngelina hey tks
We will continue this convers later
Am at wrk
Tks😊
Lo mejor de Ecuador, su comida y así gordita estás bonita Ayngelina...
Gordita? jjj
@@ayngelina en cámara se aumenta, pero que bonita eres y grazias por compartir lugares mágicos de mi país.. 🇪🇨
@@d.colucci gracias, si tiene alguna recomendación de lugares que debería visitar, y especialmente comida, me encantaría escucharla
@@ayngelina He visto dos vídeos y después veré otros, son muy interesantes y lo bueno que tenemos en este país, su comida, sus ciudades, pueblos, gente, es muy lindo y como buen manabita, no se si haya ido a Manta-Manabí le recomiendo, su comida es muy rica y fresca. Una gran estadía en este país y que pase muy bien y se lleve los mejores recuerdos.
@@d.colucci Ya tengo videos de Manabí pero me voy a Manta en enero, si tienes restaurantes que recomendar allá o huecas me encantaría conocerlos. y si no te has suscrito, me ayudaría mucho.😊
Hello, what’s the viability of renting a car and traveling the back roads, city to city 🤷🏻♂️
I wouldn't do it. You can hire the driver for the same price as a car rental who understands how to travel the back roads and will have experience and knowledge of landslides.
@@ayngelina …. U don’t sleep either 😏 …. but I’d have the guide tied to me and what if I wanted to explore a city for a few days🤷🏻♂️ … what does the guide do 🤔
Well depending how long you’re staying you could get a different driver in each region or even city. There are also tons of shuttles
Another slight boo boo, it’s tamal lojano and not lojana, it’s even spelled right in the menu. Great videos, thanks 😊
Oh I know! In editing I saw that mistake when I know it's feminine. But that's what I said in the moment so I went with it 😊
You might have some lojana heritage that you enjoying lojano food.
Ps. En loja we eat perros culos 100%
jjjjj
Yes, you're right.
@@ayngelina … you did say there was no dogs 🤷🏻♂️ … did you mean frogs 😋
Tamal Lojano, no tamal "Lojana"
Si yo se ahora, soy Canadiense y a veces cometo errores en Español 😳
@@ayngelina It's male the tamal, not famale. jjjj Just for fun.
good Spanish food terms---post the English or say both--English and the Spanish both okay maestra !
I have both Spanish and English subtitles on my videos
her face is so funny😂😂😂😂
I'm so glad I amused you 😊
haven’t seen any dog 🥴
It’s a long standing joke with Ecuadorians. I’m sure people in Loja are so tired of it 🤣
dont eat on camera how wrong! and could you tell price of the meal that you show----on the plate!!!not in yo boca!
If you don’t want to see someone eat you probably shouldn’t watch my channel 😊
How is Loja for vegans?
Because it's smaller than Cuenca and has fewer expats and travelers it's not as easy as Cuenca, which is quite easy. That said it's not impossible. There are a few vegetarian restaurants (Happy Cow lists them) and Ecuador has a number of traditionally vegan dishes. Ecuadorians understand vegetarian choices but in regular restaurants you may have to double check with them that there isn't any dairy.