Yule logs, reindeer, pine trees and ….delicious Quito mountain sushi! (for those who aren’t quite sure, Quito is located high up in the Andes Mountains, hours and hours from the nearest beach).
So perhaps it wasn’t your average office Christmas party, and definitely not your traditional Ecuadorian Christmas celebration, but everyone on my team here had a great time rolling our own home-made sushi.
My Ecuadorian co-worker, Consuelo, generously hosted us in her home and her daughter,
Sophie, a trained chef with experience working in a local sushi bar was our master instructor: showing us the steps, putting on her magic touches, and patiently fixes our mess-ups when we inadvertently tried to stuff in too many delicious fillings turn a delicate sushi roll turned into a sushi disaster. There were a few special Ecuadorian twists as well, such as sweet plantain sushi.
The final result was a spectacular feast, that might have been lacking in the traditional Ecuadorian cuey (roasted guinea pig – yes it sounds gross, but remember, we’re eating raw fish), but was filled beautifully carved cucumber flowers, happy taste buds, and lots of laughs.
Wandering Joy 