The Ecuadorian Breakfast Potato Pancake. "Llapingacho's."

There was a nostalgic feeling about a Zuniga family gathering. The aroma of my dad's Ecuadorian cooking in the background, having a diverse group of friends and family from all over central and south America. My dad's boss who was mexican teasing him that he’s going to put his Ecuadorian pork in a tortilla and then eat it, and my dad replying, “YOU DON’T PUT ECUADORIAN PORK IN A TORTILLA, THAT’S MEXICAN, NOT ECUADORIAN!” And then having my tia always asking me, “JORDAN, HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING THE ADOPTED WHITE BOY?” My usual response being, “NOW LOOK HERE, WEE LASSIE! I’VE BEEN BEARING THE ZUNIGA BANNER FOR NEARLY TWENTY YEARS! QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK I’M ZUNIGA CERTIFIED, THANK YE!” In my thickest Irish accent that I could muster. Long story short, in my family, if you didn’t have sarcasm thrown at you like it's a game of hot potato, you probably weren’t loved.

But the dinner table was a place where we really got together and bonded. It was a place where there was a lot more respect and we were grateful for what we had. My dad made a lot of different things, but one dish stands out the most for me which was, Llapingacho. Llapingacho is an Ecuadorian potato pancake dish. Some of the parts of the main course were the cheese potato, a salsa-puree that was a water based puree with the juices of lemons, limes, onions, tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, sometimes jalapeno’s if we wanted it to be spicy, with salt and pepper, two fried eggs, with spicy german sausages, and, you’re not going to believe: a Peanut puree with peanut sauce and goya adobo that went on pretty much everything alongside the salsa-puree.

This dish was usually made on special occasions. Certain members of my family on their birthdays would request this dish, or it would be served when family came over we didn’t usually get to see. It was usually for special occasions in our family. One of the things that really blew my mind with this dish, is the cheese potato with the salsa puree and an almost peanut butter kind of puree. Cheese with peanut butter isn’t something that you would associate being on the same plate. But this peanut puree wasn’t like skippy peanut butter or processed peanut butter. It was straight from the peanut blended puree and it was delicious! This would go well with the runny yolk from the fried egg and the salsa puree.

This was a dish that we’ve had in my family for years, and it’s something I’m quite fond of! One of the things that this dish has taught me when it comes to making and preparing food is to not judge a book by its cover. Many different dishes throughout the world may seem a little weird or intimidating, and different variations and combinations of ingredients can seem quite strange! But being open-minded when it comes to food trying new things, and being a bit spontaneous can actually open your horizons when it comes to different types of food from different cultures! I think llapingacho really fits that description quite well!

Ecuador, is a third world country in South America. I remember a time when I sat down with my familia at the dinner table, that my Dad was telling me that typical nike’s shoes we would get here in America for around twenty dollars, were around a hundred dollars in Ecuador. Being in Ecuador or any country where poverty is a huge problem, makes me thankful for what I have in America and all the more appreciative of the diverse atmosphere I grew up in. There were a lot of different things I got to experience, and food that I got to taste that a lot of people in America don’t even get the opportunity to try. Although, even I have to admit, I can’t even bear trying to eat a hamster/guinea pig on a skewer, which was something that was common in Ecuador.

*BLAHHH!*

One of the great things about this particular dish, is that depending on where you go in Ecuador, there will be different variants of this dish! The style of Llapingacho's in the Galapagos island, is much different then say in Quito, or other areas! You will get varying ingredients depending on the location!

I remember going to Ecuador for vacation back when I was in grade school, and I still remember the imagery of the city I was in. It wasn’t the best situation by any means. We had to boil water every morning in my Abuelita’s house, just to cook or drink water at all! It was a poor place! One of the things I can say in order to honor the culture and the memory of what I’ve seen and experienced, is to be thankful for what I have in America. For the freedoms, liberties, and opportunities I have here in this country, and continue to raise awareness about different Ecuadorian dishes and try to make them more mainstream!

Regardless of wherever you come from, or wherever you are, or wherever you may have yet to be. Whether you came here, or there, or anywhere, I think it’s important to continue to recognize those who don’t have as much, continue to be humble and thankful for what you do have, but even more so, to never settle for a certain situation, and to never give up. And I think one of the most sacred things for friends of all different backgrounds to bond together in fellowship and unity, is to share a meal together. So I ask you, where do you stand? What’s your next stop for your meal?

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