On December 24, 1790, the government offered a prize in Ambato to the first baker who made well-fermented and well-baked bread. This may be one of the reasons why the city was known for a long time for the excellence of its bread.
By 1802, excellent very white bread was being made in Riobamba. In 1892, an English traveler said that his town "wanted the bread of the country".
In 1823, the best bread from that province was made in Ambato, with eggs that made it "like the large cakes" and it was sold in Guayaquil. (Ambato bread was still sold there in 1875.) At that time, in San Miguel de la Chimba, bread was made with potatoes and oats.
In 1828, various types of bread were brought to the Quito market, all shaped like "small cakes". The price dropped after noon due to the "custom of eating only soft bread".
It was then said that Guayaquil bread was of lower quality, although the flour was good. Ambato bread continued to be known as excellent.
In 1878, the inhabitants of Quito preferred potatoes over wheat, and both potatoes and wheat cost $1.60 per 100 pounds. However, descendants of Europeans preferred wheat bread.
Although most white bread seemed to have been made from wheat, a 1896 account describes a ring or flat-shaped bread made of cassava, with a yellow crust and a white interior like snow, "spongy, translucent, like bubbles blown from bread".
The overall picture shows a decline over time in Quito's bread, at least. It also suggests that part of the "white bread" eaten by travelers could have been native (made from corn, cassava, etc.) rather than wheat.
