Tortillas con Caucara

 

For some people, food exist just to satisfy our basic needs. For others, food is not only a necessity, but also a pleasure that plays a significant role in their understanding of happiness. Tortillas con caucara is a traditional dish from the Andes part of Ecuador, which preparation does not vary a lot between cities. I would say it is the Ecuadorian version of fast food because it is usually served in markets and on the streets. The main ingredients of this dish are potato tortillas, cooked pork/ beef (caucara), lettuce, avocado, beet, and a fried egg.

As I said earlier, Tortillas con caucara is often prepared and served out on the streets. Personally, I believe that it is a marketing technique because once you smell the food, you cannot move on without at least having had a closer look to what releases such magnificent smell. When you get to eat Tortillas con caucara, the first thing that strikes you is its colorfulness and powerful smell. The green avocado and lettuce, to the bright red/purple beet, and the yellow/orange potato tortillas make this dish rainbow like. Then, when you eat it, you encounter a new world of flavors that alone might not be the greatest, but together they balance each other perfectly. Caucara often comes with a sauce, that together with the crunchy lettuce, the mushy potato tortillas, the delicate meat, and the sweet beet, create what is in my opinion the perfect bite of food.

I might be biased when describing tortillas con caucara, because they are not only my favorite food, but also the food that reminds me of the best times of my teenage life. There was an old restaurant that used to prepare this dish and was on my way home from my basketball practices. By coincidence, the owner of that restaurant was a good friend of my grandma, so each time she saw me walking home she would give me a tortilla with some caucara. I also used to eat there with my teammates after big games or long practices. So, each time I eat tortillas with caucara my mind takes me back to those wonderful memories I had with my basketball team.