¡CUENCA EATS!

De: James Li

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Most visitors to Cuenca never reach the foods that locals cherish. This culinary hideout is filled with flavors the rest of the world has barely begun to discover.

¡Cuenca Eats! is a heartfelt, bilingual guide to one of South America’s most welcoming food cities. In 2024 Cuenca became the first city in South America to receive the title of “World Food Capital” from the World Food Travel Association. In 2025 UNESCO recognized Cuenca as a “Ciudad Creativa de la Gastronomía.” This book celebrates that spirit through more than 100 traditional dishes, drinks, fruits, snacks and desserts from the high Andes. Every page is rooted in real life. This is the Cuenca you discover by walking its mercados, tasting what Ecuadorians cook, and sharing in a powerful, exuberant food culture shaped by fresh ingredients, quiet superfoods and recipes that have stayed largely hidden from the outside world.

Inside you will find:

• A friendly bilingual layout with English and Spanish side by side

• Traditional Ecuadorian foods explained clearly for travelers, newcomers and locals

• Authentic market favorites from roasted corn to fresh tropical fruit

• Street foods and snacks with real photos and simple notes

• More than 100 handpicked restaurant recommendations found the honest way

• Notes on seasonality, regional ingredients, eating customs and what to try first

This book took more than three years to write. It was created by walking Cuenca’s streets and talking with the people who feed the city. It honors the vendors, cooks, market workers and family kitchens that carry Ecuador’s culinary traditions into everyday life.

Whether you are visiting Cuenca for the first time or rediscovering it after many years, ¡Cuenca Eats! gives you an inviting, practical and joyful way to explore the city one taste at a time.