That said, there's surprisingly little variation between restaurant menus in these areas, with either fish (usually trucha or corvina , trout or sea bass), chicken or beef served with rice, chips or patacones (fried plantain), topped off with a smidgeon of salad. Though the fish or chicken may be fried, boiled or breaded, it's easy to get tired with the overall monotony of the cuisine, though occasionally you'll find more exciting comidas tipicas (especially in sierran areas), the traditional food of each region, cropping up on menus, or you can resort to western fast-food outlets, such as Burger King , opening in Quito or the pizza and pasta parlours which are springing up in many Ecuadorian towns.

Markets are among the cheapest sources of food, not only because of the range of nutritious fruits and produce on offer, but also from the makeshift restaurants and stalls that dole out fried meats, potatoes and other snacks; although they may not be overly scrupulous on the hygiene front, food prepared and cooked in front of you should be fine. Street vendors also supply snacks such as corn-on-the-cob or salchipapas , a popular fast food comprising a bag of chips propping up a sausage, all doused in ketchup. Vendors often carry their wares onto buses and parade the aisles to tempt passengers.