Guatita ('' ittlegut'' or '' ittlebelly'', from ; "Gut/Belly"), or guatita criolla, is a popular dish in

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

, where it is considered a national dish, and in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. It is essentially a

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...

whose main ingredient is pieces of

tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle and sheep. Types Beef Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's stomach chambers: th ...

(cow stomach), known locally as "guatitas". The tripe is cleaned several times in a lemon-juice brine, after which it is cooked for a long time until the meat is tender. Then it is allowed to cool and finely chopped. There are various vegetarian versions of the dish in which

wheat gluten Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain cereal grains. The term ''gluten'' usually refers to the elastic network of a wheat grain's proteins, gliadin and glutenin primarily, that forms readily with the addition of water and oft ...

is substituted for tripe. Other variations use strong-tasting fish such as

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

. The traditional Ecuadorian recipe is served hot and accompanied by potatoes and a peanut sauce. The dish is often considered an acquired taste. Because of its strong taste, it is sometimes served in small quantities. In Ecuador, it is believed that guatita helps relieve hangover symptoms.http://www.ultimasnoticias.ec/noticiaUN.asp?id_noticia=23306&id_seccion=5 For this reason, it is often served by restaurants early on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Related dishes

* Mexico:

Pancita Menudo, also known as Mondongo, pancita ('' ittlegut'' or '' ittlestomach'') or mole de panza ("stomach sauce"), is a traditional Mexican soup, made with cow's stomach (tripe) in broth with a red chili pepper base. It is the Mexican variation of ...

mondongo ''Sopa de mondongo'' is a soup that originally came from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow or pig) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, ...

* Colombia:

Mondongo antioqueño ''Sopa de mondongo'' is a soup that originally came from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow or pig) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, ...

* Peru: Cau Cau a la limeña * Panama: Mondongo a la culona * Chile: Chupe de guatitas, guatitas a la jardinera * Argentina: Mondongo rioplatense * Paraguay: Seco de mondongo * Ecuador: Caldo de mondongo * Spain: Callos * Dominican Republic:

Mondongo ''Sopa de mondongo'' is a soup that originally came from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow or pig) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, ...

References

{{Cuisine of Chile Ecuadorian cuisine Chilean cuisine Stews Offal Beef dishes National dishes

Related dishes

See also

References