Across the country you'll find a broad spectrum of national and regional dishes, including lemon-marinated shrimp, toasted corn, and pastries stuffed with spiced meats. For those on a budget, the best way to stretch your sucres is to take advantage of set plate meals, an Ecuadorian institution in many restaurants. Vegetarian versions are often available upon request. Dishes sold in the street are also quite cheap, but hygiene is often questionable, and you may quickly surpass your intestinal limits. If you don't see a little bowl of aji on your table, just ask, and you'll soon sound like one of the locals.
Soups are without doubt Ecuador's specialty.
Most lunches and dinners are accompanied by a savory soup as the first course. Locro soup, made with cheese, avocado and potato, sounds a bit odd, but is actually quite tasty. Chupe de pescado, a fish and vegetable soup with coastal origins, is becoming popular throughout the country. Bolder diners can try yaguarlocro, a potato soup made with blood sausage. Those ready to throw caution completely to the wind should dip their spoon into caldo de pata, a broth containing chunks of boiled cow hooves, considered a delicacy by locals and believed by hopeful men to increase virility.