Being Ecuadorian

One of the things I have always wanted to do since I moved to Ecuador was "blend in". Being "blond" (in the eyes of most Ecuadorians, although I would never consider myself so), it isn't always easy, and when I go out for a run or walk there is always someone who has to stare at me as if I am an exotic animal at the zoo. Always makes me uncomfortable.

But one way I try to counter this is to always know more about Ecuador than the very own Ecuadorians do. Know more about their geography, history, food and culture. It helps that my mother-in-law is a great cook and Andrés's family loves to travel. I get to experience a lot of dishes that are not always so easy to find here in the big city, and I have seen a lot of small towns and out-of-the-way places.

And I have learned how to make many traditional dishes, those dishes that only Grandma knows how to make. One is bala de verde (bolón is the much more popular version, but bala is from Esmeraldas, where Andrés's father's family has roots). To make bala is quite easy - put the plantain in the pressure cooker, and cook until soft. Then mash it up with a big rock and add cheese, then eat as is or, more typically, fry it up. (Bolón is different in that the cheese is put in the middle of the plantain, like a hot pocket. I prefer bala, with the cheese mixed throughout.)

I can be proud of the fact that I, unlike many other Ecuadorians of my age or younger, can make things like dulce de zambo, sopa de pan, bola de verde, empanadas de mejido. I love the fact that Andrés and I can go to the market and ask for the zambo, and when the lady at the stall asks what we need it for, we can tell her "to make dulce de zambo". And she looks at us, very skeptically, and asks, one eyebrow raised, "Do you really know how to make that?"

The answer is, yes, yes we do!