by MICHAEL SHAPIRO
Dining with El Presidente A national roast pork competition in the mountain town of Otavalo showcases local flavor.
My wife and I didn’t come to Ecuador for the national roast pork festival. Until we got to the mountain town of Otavalo, known for its bustling open-air market, we hadn’t even heard of the event, known as the Campeonato Mundial del Hornado. In 2016, we planned to visit the Galapagos Islands, and we asked a savvy travel advisor where else in Ecuador we should go. Without missing a beat, she recommended Otavalo, home to one of South America’s largest craft and food markets. After seeing the giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos, we returned to the mainland and headed for Otavalo. At outdoor markets, people lined up for roast pork, the country’s national dish. Vendors proudly displayed the whole roast pig, typically with a shiny red apple in its mouth. After wandering the Saturday market’s alleys
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ENSEMBLE TR AVELER ’S TABLE 2021
