Fanesca for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Fanesca for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The subtly spiced and herbal profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced tomate de árbol tree tomato used that way before.

Ecuador's position on the equator gives it extraordinary biodiversity of ingredients from coast, highlands, and Amazon. I explained the a Quito mercado central context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. chicha de jora was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.