Llapingachos are fried potato pancakes that originated 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 ...
. They are usually served with
salsa de maní
Salsa de maní is a common table sauce in South American cuisine
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes ...
, a peanut sauce. The potato
patties or thick pancakes are stuffed with cheese and cooked on a hot
griddle
A griddle, in the UK also called a girdle, is a cooking device consisting mainly of a broad, usually flat cooking surface. Nowadays it can be either a movable metal pan- or plate-like utensil, a flat heated cooking surface built onto a stove as ...
until crispy brown.
In Ecuador they are sometimes made with mashed, cooked yuca, or cassava, instead of potato. The yuca or
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
root used to make llapingachos is not to be confused with the similarly spelled ''
yucca
''Yucca'' ( , YUCK-uh) is both the scientific name and common name for a genus native to North America from Panama to southern Canada. It contains 50 accepted species. In addition to yucca, they are also known as Adam's needle or Spanish-bayon ...
'', the roots of which are generally not edible.
Origin and preparation
Llapingachos originated in
Ambato, Ecuador. It consists of fried
mashed potatoes
Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American English, American, Canadian English, Canadian, and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butt ...
seasoned with onions, cumin and
achiote
''Bixa orellana'', also known as achiote, is a shrub or small tree native to Central America. ''Bixa orellana'' is grown in many countries worldwide.
The plant is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also calle ...
for a bright orange colour
and stuffed with cheese, typically queso fresco. It is characterized by its crispy exterior, creamy interior and a peppery hint from the achiote. It is generally served with baked or fried pork, and typically with
avocado
The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...
, sausage, fried egg, tomato and lettuce salad on the side. This dish forms part of Ecuador's culture, and is one of the representative icons of Highland food. Llapingachos are popular not only in Ecuador's Highlands but also in the coast and eastern provinces.
See also
*
List of Ecuadorian dishes and foods
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oys ...
References
External links
Cocina del mundo
Cheese dishes
Ecuadorian cuisine
Potato pancakes
Stuffed dishes
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