The gastronomy of the Galapagos Islands can be defined as varied, although a wide range of recipes predominate whose main ingredients come from the sea. The most common way to prepare most fish recipes is ceviche style, that is, marinated with lemon. Here we show you the most important dishes of Galapagos gastronomy.
Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.
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Seafood rice
Marinero rice, also known as rice with seafood, is a very popular dish not only in the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, but throughout Latin America. It is a traditional dish of the coastal areas and, for this reason, it is among the main ones in Galapagos.
As its name suggests, the main ingredient is rice, to which shrimp, shells, squid, mussels are added ... in short, all kinds of seafood and fish. It also usually has garlic, onion, pepper, a touch of coriander and a variety of spices.
Many are those who consider this Ecuadorian dish as the first cousin of the seafood paella so typical of the Spanish cuisine, mainly because their appearance and main ingredients are very similar: assorted seafood and rice. Additionally, there are those who add peas and / or peas as well.
The difference between paella and Galápagos seafood, however, lies in the spices and seasonings that the latter carries, as well as the type of rice. Long-grain rice is used for seafood rice, while the traditional paella recipe dictates that it should be made with short-grain rice.
On the other hand, paella rice has that characteristic reddish-yellow color because saffron or food coloring is added, while Galapagos seafood rice is made with achiote, hence its darker color. On the other hand, seafood rice has coriander and garlic as its base condiments.
Cod with potatoes
Cod with potatoes is a simple recipe, described as "humble" by many natives of the Galapagos Islands, in which once again fish (cod) is the star ingredient, just as it happens in most typical dishes of the Peruvian coast.
The secret so that this dish is according to how it is described in the traditional recipe are the potatoes. Ideally, leave them for last, once we have cooked the cod and added a delicious stir fried based on green and / or red pepper, chives, garlic and tomato.
Once the previous ingredients have been poached and chopped, it is advisable to add a touch of white wine to enhance the flavor of the final dish. We let it evaporate and add the potatoes, also chopped after a while. It does not matter if the pieces are regular or irregular.
At the end, the fish broth is added in a considerable quantity to cover all the previous ingredients and the potatoes are cooked for approximately 25 minutes. This step, as we said, is essential for us to have a good plate of cod with traditional potatoes.
Bolon de verde
Bolón de verde is one of the most important dishes in the Republic of Ecuador, especially in the Galapagos Islands. It is both a national dish and the most traditional dish of this South American country, whose base is the green banana.
In fact, green banana It is one of the most basic and most widely used fruits in the Ecuadorian cuisine. It is usually eaten fried as an ingredient in a large number of dishes in the form of patacones, chifles or also boiled. It is prepared salty and, after frying, it acquires a hard consistency.
In fact, there are several historians who estimate that the true origin of the bolón de verde is located in Cuba, where it is known by the name of banana fufu within Cuban gastronomy. The main ingredient in fufu is the mashed banana mixed with pork rinds. It is also typical of Peruvian gastronomy, in this case called sloppy.
In its origins, the consumption of boiled and mashed plantain is related to slaves, a way of eating plantain that possibly comes from Sierra Leone and Ghana.
Now, the recipe for bolón de verde varies slightly with respect to that of Cuban fufu. Thus, although the basic recipe is practically the same, the bolón de verde is mixed with cheese, an ingredient not included in the fufu recipe.
A bolón de verde, as its name suggests, is a ball almost the size of a fist made from green plantain roasted or fried previously and then mashed and kneaded firmly with the hands. A filling based on cheese, although there are those who prefer to include other ingredients such as fried meat, for example.
Once the firm dough is achieved, the bolón de verde can be consumed directly or, if you prefer, fry or bake it a few minutes before eating it. In this way, it is slightly toasted and crispy on the outside. They can be served with other ingredients, such as a fried egg or corn, among others.
Canchalagua Ceviche
Before defining what this exquisite dish of Galapagos cuisine consists of, it is important to clarify what we mean when we speak of "canchalagua". The canchalagua is an endemic mollusk of about 5 cm formed by a shell-shaped shell and black in color.
Although currently the canchalagua ceviche is a popular dish throughout the Galapagos, it is especially typical of the San Cristobal island, the easternmost of the archipelago. The cebiche or ceviche de canchalagua is a coveted dish that can currently only be consumed in three of the twenty restaurants that are currently on the island.
The dish includes other ingredients such as rice and canguil. Its popularity is currently due to the tourists who visit the island daily; in fact, it is estimated that 60% of the consumption of this dish is thanks to the tourism that the island receives. According to the Galapagueños, it is an "aphrodisiac" dish.
The texture of canchalagua is hard, similar to that of octopus, but its flavor is similar to that of clams or shells. For the preparation of this dish, tomatoes, peppers and onion are also used, as well as lemon juice to enhance its flavor. Other frequent ingredients are banana, potatoes, avocado and onion, among others.
Seafood
As we have already mentioned above, the type of food that predominates in the Galapagos Islands is fish and shellfish. Lobsters and prawns they are probably the most consumed by the main populations of the archipelago, such as Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz island) and Puerto Vaquerizo Moreno (San Cristóbal island).
The ceviche, either canchalagua or with another mollusk or fish, is among the main recommendations, followed by encebollado (fish soup) and, of course, a plate of lobsters. Typical of this area is the spiny lobster, specifically the red lobster and the green lobster, the latter being larger than the red lobster.
Lobsters can be eaten in various ways and there are many recipes: lobster with special sauce, lobster with caviar and pink sauce, lobster gratin, baked lobster, lobster with garlic cream, rice with lobster and clams ...
Although in the gastronomy of Galapagos you can find some of the main dishes of the ecuadorian gastronomy, such as meats, potatoes, vegetables, grains ... and also international foods, the truth is that what is most striking if you have the opportunity to visit Galapagos is excellence in preparing seafood in general.
Cassava bread
Yucca bread is an aperitif native to the Ecuadorian coast and one of the most representative dishes of Ecuador today. Although it may not seem like it, its recipe is very simple. It is usually consumed in the breakfast or snack, although it admits any hour of the day.
Yucca bread is typical throughout Ecuador and, in addition, there are versions in other Latin American countries, such as the famous cheese cakes or traditional cheese rolls from the gastronomy of Brazil.
It is common to serve it with other foods, such as a yogurt smoothie with fruits, chocolate ... and also as a garnish for other stronger foods. For its preparation is used cassava starch and the way of making it is very creative. You need grated fresh white cheese, usually half mozzarella and half Dominican leaf cheese.
To prepare it, you must start by mixing the cassava starch well with the cheese. After about 5 minutes kneading, add the egg and continue kneading for another five minutes until the dough acquires a smooth consistency. If it is complicated, we recommend adding a little milk so that it does not dry out.
Seafood soup
The seafood soup or seafood soup is a very typical and traditional recipe from the Galapagos Islands. As in the case of seafood rice, in a seafood soup you can add all kinds of food from the sea, that is, seafood. It is a dish that is currently consumed throughout the country.
The most common shellfish and fish are: clams (shells), crab claws, shrimp and a variety of fish (eg cod). The broth is also made with white and red onion, white wine, ground peanuts, tomato, coriander, bay leaf, achiote, olive oil, a little flour to thicken it, salt and pepper.
The most important thing to obtain a fully satisfactory result and faithful to the traditional recipe is to first make a stir fried with all the ingredients mentioned above (coriander, tomato, bay leaf, achiote, oil ...) with a generous amount of water. Although it depends on the number of guests, about 3 liters of water is the recommended amount.
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