Quito is, quite literally, a city that can take your breath away. At over 9000 ft above sea level and just a few degrees shy of the Equator, the air is fresh and the sun’s rays a bit stronger, especially in the mornings. So I decided to take advantage of a beautiful Monday morning to take a leisurely walk to the meeting place assigned for my culinary tour of Quito.
As we navigated the snarled morning traffic, my guide, Jonatan, explained what to expect for the rest of the day and pointed out sites of interest along our route. My ears perked up as he promised we’d be getting a peek behind the scenes at a few of Quito’s culinary heritage sites, starting with our first stop – a family-run bakery in central Quito.
Quesadilla
Las Quesadillas de San Juan is a small family bakery that has been in operation for nearly 80 years. Far from the savory, cheese-filled quesadilla that I know from back home in the U.S., these pentagon-shaped pastries had a flavor reminiscent of a cheese danish with a delicate crispiness baked into the outer layer. Before sampling one, I was able to peek downstairs where four ladies were rolling out the pastry dough, folding the edges up around the cheese mixture and then sliding them into a large oven for a quick bake. When my quesadilla arrived, still warm from the oven, it was the perfect complement to a nice warm cup of coffee and a great way to wake up my appetite.
Quito’s Old Town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and I could see why as we parked and walked down the steep cobblestone streets. Even with the busy tourist traffic in the area, I found myself imagining what it would be like to wander the neighborhood in a different era. I could imagine leaning out to water the geraniums on my wrought-iron balcony, looking out towards the winged Virgin Mary of Quito atop the nearby El Panecillo hill.
Colaciones storefront
Our next stop continued the time-warp feeling, having been in operation for close to 100 years. Las Colaciones Cruz Verde was opened in 1915 by the grandfather of Luis Marcelo Banda Smith, who currently runs the small confectionery tucked into a blink-and-you’d-miss-it storefront on Bolivar Street. As has been done every day for almost a century, Luis stands at the entrance, shaking his grandfather’s antique copper pot, which hangs suspended over hot coals to gently roast the peanuts inside. Every so often, he ladles a simple syrup mixture over the nuts, which build up into a sugary white coating over the course of a few hours. I popped one into my mouth and smiled as the fine sugar melted away, revealing the crunch of a small roasted peanut inside.
View of Old Town
After a quick stop at Parque Itchimbia to admire the view of Old Town against the backdrop of Mt. Pichincha, we arrived for a cooking class in the home of Senora Graciela, who makes some of the best empanadas and tamales in the city. As I walked into her kitchen, I asked if it might be ok for me to take a photo with her and she nodded, but then seemed to think twice about it. I was prepared to put away my camera but she murmured something to Jonatan and left the room. A minute later she returned, hair freshly pulled back into a crocheted hair net. She just wanted to look presentable for our class, after all. I was instantly smitten.
Cooking class
Photos and introductions aside, we got right into the process of making her specialty, empanadas de morocho. Under Senora’s watchful gaze, I flattened out the corn dough with my fingers and spooned a bit of the prepared filling of rice, peas and meat into each one. Although Jonatan was on hand to translate, I soon found that preparing a meal together is a universal experience that needs few words. I felt as if I were getting a cooking class from my own grandmother, especially as she shooed us out of the kitchen and into her parlor where a table had been set for us to enjoy our meal.
Pristinos
My eyes rested on the little details of the home as we waited – the floral designs on her china, the lace that lined the table, artwork from local towns and a souvenir refrigerator magnet from a trip to Israel. Senora came out from the kitchen carrying dish after dish of our finished work – first the emapanadas, followed by her popular chicken tamales, and for dessert pristinos, a pastry of fried sweet dough made during the holidays. One again, she became my Ecuadorian grandmother – encouraging us to eat even more as she poured miel de panela (a spiced syrup) over the pristinos.
As we left, I gave Senora a big hug and she grasped my arms earnestly, speaking to me excitedly in Spanish. I laughed and looked to Jonathan for a translation.
“Never stop traveling,” she had said. “But please remember to be safe, always.”
Perfect parting words to cap off such a delicious journey.
-Contributed by Malia Yoshioka
Quito Culinary Tour & Cooking Class from Ecuador & The Galapagos Islands Things To Do
