Ecuadorian Street Food: chochos and tostado
One great way to experience Ecuador is by eating some of the traditional dishes available throughout the country.
Ecuador is located in the middle of the world and has four different regions, making eating an important part of the traveling experience for many.
To help you discover some of the country’s known and unknown cuisine we have written a series of blog posts, each for a different dish or street food option.
Today we want to share one of the tasty and healthy traditional street food options in Ecuador, chocho and tostado.
About chocho and tostado
Chocho with tostado is a tasty and healthy snack or street food that you must try while in Ecuador.
Street vendors will add chochos (lupini beans), lemon juice, onions, and then tostado (Andean corn nuts) to a small plastic blow or bag and sell them in many places around the country.
Tostado is often served together with ceviche, another traditional dish we have in Ecuador.
The first ingredient of this street food is chochos (picture above), a white bean rich in protein, which is considered a superfood. Chocho (Andean Lupin) is a legume cultivated high up in the Andes and it has been a core component of Ecuadorian and Peruvian cuisine for many years.
The second ingredient is maiz tostado(picture above), a South American toasted corn nut that is oftentimes served as a snack, with chocho or together with ceviche.
If you are in South America, I would love to see your pictures.
What it tastes like
Chochos have a mild flavor, that when mixed with tostado, lemon juice, and onion results in this tasty flavor with a bit of a crunch.
This is a great snack, one that is satisfying and rich in protein.
How and where to eat chocos with tostado
Chochos with tostado can be bought to street vendors around markets, local fairs, and bus stops. In addition, they are served as snacks in restaurants or served with soups in restaurants in Quito and Lima.
The chocho beans are high in protein, so they are a good source of energy and a great snack or addition to a salad. I personally have had chochos as some of my favorite healthy snacks.
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Do you like chochos and tostado?
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