According to a legend, the Spanish conquistadors brought from the port of Panama a slave ship with 23 slaves headed to Lima. But the ship ran aground, due to poor navigation conditions, in northern Esmeraldas for thirty days. Before resuming the journey, the Spaniards disembarked with their slaves onto land to gather water and food. Taking advantage of the situation, the slaves attacked and eliminated their masters, then took refuge in the jungles of the Cayapa and Santiago rivers, where their descendants live today.
When Africans arrived in America, their diet was influenced by European cuisine. Their diet mainly consisted of rice mixed with meat, chicken, fish, or vegetables, all cooked together and seasoned with pepper, spices, and palm oil.
Since their arrival in the Ecuadorian coastal area, rice and fish became staple foods, using a variety of spices such as curry, ginger, clove, cinnamon, cumin, and others.
Among the typical coastal dishes with African influence are encebollado, a fish soup with yucca, onion, pepper, lime, tomato, and herbs. It is usually served with bread, chifle, or popcorn.
The famous ceviche, but with the particularity that it is prepared with mani paste; and from African slaves we inherited the consumption of organ meats from beef and pork, just to mention the delicious dishes like mondongo, baked pig or cow’s head.
