According to Wikipedia, “the Fanesca It is a stew based on tender grains and dried fish that is prepared in Ecuador and the bordering Colombian department of Narino during the Lent. There is a series of beliefs and legends that give clues about its origins. One holds that a French chef was brought by the Spanish to create a ‘heavy’ dish to serve as penance in Holy Week or that a woman named Juana invented the dish in a monastery in Quito and for that reason at first it was called juanesca in Ecuador, a name that is still preserved in Colombia. However, a study carried out by the Rescue of the Traditional Flavors of Ecuador group maintains that the origins of this Ecuadorian dish date back to pre-Hispanic times., in the celebration of the Mushuk Nina, which within the original calendar of the towns and on the occasion of the equinox in the month of March it symbolizes the beginning of a new life cycle of the new year”.
The fanesca is a vivid example of how gastronomy becomes part of the culture of the peoples, being an indigenous custom adopted in colonial times, to be used as a Christian practice during Holy Week, when religious custom prohibited eating meat.
The truth is that it is almost unthinkable for an Ecuadorian not to eat the fanesca of his choice during Easter, and although the base is the same, there are multiple variations.
Some that I have eaten this week that I think have stood out:
–Alma Parrilla’swhich uses a great fish, the grouper, with smoked grilled humita, and the bottom based on garum, a recipe from ancient Rome, with a slight touch of ferment. The flavor of the beans stands out.
–Balandra and Beto’s Corner They produced two types, the classic recipe, which unlike the previous one, highlights the fish flavor, and a variation of seafood fanesca. Balandra’s with crab and shrimp, and La Esquina de Beto’s with octopus, clams and spices other than the traditional ones.
-For lovers of less strong flavors, fanesca de The Seminar @lasseminario, company of cateringoffers a much lighter option than the traditional one.
–My land It has a good fanesca, very traditional, attached to the basic recipe.
-Probably one of my favorites, which I haven’t eaten since 2019, is the one he makes at home Marcela Molestina. Urdesinos will remember the presence of Miss Peggy’s wheelbarrow for more than 25 years, on the corner of what is now Plaza Triangle. Its owner, Marcela Molestina, has always done delivery of one of the best fanescas you have tasted.
Without a doubt, this traditional dish from Ecuador is an excellent example of the syncretism between gastronomy, religion, mythology and culture. (EITHER)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
