• Register Now
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Destinations:
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs:
      • Appalachia – West Virginia
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rosebud Reservation – South Dakota
  • Projects
  • Dates and Contributions
  • Discounts
  • Blog
  • Search
  • Menu
Culture and Traditions Worldwide Ecuador

Fanesca! Holy Week Stew in Ecuador

There cannot be a holiday in Ecuador without there being a specific food that goes along with it. For Holy Week, it is an elaborate, rich, creamy soup packed full of grains. This deliciousness is called fanesca. Fanesca can be found in restaurants several weeks before Holy Week, but families get together to prepare it at home on Good Friday. It is a very rich soup, with the primary ingredients being figleaf gourd, squash (zapallo in Spanish), and twelve different kinds of grains to represent each of the disciples. These grains include lupines, fava beans, lentils, peas, and corn. Fanesca also includes milk and salt cod, due to the Catholic tradition of not eating red meat during Holy Week. The cod represents Christ.

In addition to that plethora of ingredients, it is garnished with fried plantains, herbs, hard boiled eggs, and mini empanadas. Families have their own unique recipes. The preparation of this very important dish is labor intensive as many of the grains need to be peeled and shelled beforehand, the cod must be soaked, and many ingredients must be cooked separately before being added to the soup. This makes for a family gathering for the preparation of this Easter delight. Rice pudding is commonly served as dessert following fanesca. This delectable stew is only available at this time of year so Ecuadorians get it while they can!

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
April 19, 2019/0 Comments/by Maggie Bjorklund
Share this post with a friend:
  • Share on WhatsApp
https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Fanesca-3-resized-e1555699504647.jpg 843 1500 Maggie Bjorklund https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Maggie Bjorklund2019-04-19 15:53:592019-04-19 15:54:01Fanesca! Holy Week Stew in Ecuador
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Partner Communities

  • China 65
  • Cook Islands 38
  • Cuba 111
  • Ecuador 79
  • Greece 55
  • Italy 52
  • Montana 39
  • Nepal 7
  • Peru 73
  • Poland 72
  • Portugal 41
  • South Dakota 8
  • St Lucia 51
  • Tanzania 55
  • Vietnam 38
  • West Virginia 22

Categories

  • Alumni Global Volunteers
  • Boomer Volunteers
  • Conversational English
  • Couples Volunteering
  • Culture and Traditions Worldwide
  • Development Impact
  • Family Volunteers
  • Free Time Options
  • Global Volunteers
  • Group Volunteering
  • Impact Stories
  • Individuals on Teams
  • Projects for Professionals
  • Reaching Children's Potential
  • Retiree Volunteers
  • Staff worldwide.
  • Student Volunteers
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteer Voices

Tags

alumni volunteers American Indian culture Appalachian culture Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English Cuba people-to-people Earthbox gardens Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects lgbt program retiree service-learning Spring break summer volunteer program Support women teaching children teaching english team leader volunteer benefits Volunteer impact work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering

  • About Us
  • Board of Directors
  • Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Our Vision
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Your Impact
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • Scholarship Opportunity
  • News/Media
  • Employment
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Subscribe receive notifications of new posts and updates by email.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is an apolitical, non-sectarian, non-profit (501C-3) tax-exempt organization.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Service “Ambassador” in Kathmandu, Nepal! Greg, "service ambassador" and Buddhiman discuss work to be done. Acts of Kindness in Beja, Portugal – Reflections of a First-Time Volu...
Scroll to top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.