Get to know Cuenca
Food and markets: a starting point
Understand a market visit, a familiar dish and the questions that make ordering easier.
Choose the place you mean
Mercado 10 de Agosto is the city-centre market in this guide. Don’t confuse it with El Mercado, a restaurant at Calle Larga 8-27 and Luis Cordero. 9
Get to know mote pillo
Mote is cooked, peeled maize. In Layla Pujol’s mote pillo recipe it is combined with eggs, milk and seasonings. She associates the dish with the Ecuadorian Sierra, especially Azuay and Loja. Every cook makes it a little differently. 8
Useful questions when ordering
Ask “¿Qué incluye?” (What is included?) and “¿Cuánto cuesta esta porción?” (How much is this portion?). If ingredients matter to you, ask about the actual dish: “¿Lleva leche, queso, huevo o manteca?”
Prices and stall hours vary, so it’s worth asking before you sit down.