Manabi Gastronomy
In this province, corn and peanuts are important ingredients in the local cuisine. Both are used to make sal prieta and season many typical dishes from Manabi, like encebollados, ayacas (corn tamales filled with peanuts and chicken, wrapped in a banana leaf), banana and peanut tortillas, menestras (a delicious dry lentil, or bean, stew), and seco de chivo (a marvellous goat dish), Corn tortillas with pig rinds. To drink, you can try guarapo, fermented sugarcane juice. Or try the following great dishes:Fish, crab or shrimp Viche: This is a wonderful thick soup made with carrots, green peas, grated green banana, peanuts, and herbs.
Corviche: This dish is made with a green banana dough and fish and/or shrimp filling.
Cazuela Manaba: This is a delectable casserole you will find in many provinces. This recipe is drier than the one from Esmeraldas; it is made in the oven with green bananas, fish and/or shrimp.
Green-Banana Sango with corn and fish: This dish is similar to the cazuela, but it is moister; it is cooked very slowly.
Spondylus: This product can be eaten only in the authorized season, since it is endangered. It is cooked in bain-marie, cut into pieces and seasoned with lemon. Sometimes they add salprieta or peanut sauce.
Green-banana ball soup: This is a marvellous light soup where the green-banana balls are filled with meat and vegetables.
Pepiado: This dish is made with cooked beans that are later fried with cheese and then sautéed.
Peanut balls: The balls are made with a peanut and corn dough, mixed with brown sugar and wrapped in a banana leaf.
Chame: Chame is a local fish found both in rivers and in the sea that remains fresh and alive (!) out of the water for several hours. A specialty of Chone, they serve it grilled.
