Mote-pata Is The Flavor Of Cuenca’s Carnival.
(Cuenca, Azuay) If we talk about festive food in Cuenca, one word comes to mind: “Moti pata”. And it is this delicious dish that, like some others, embodies the ancestral culinary traditions of Atenea in Ecuador Contrary to popular belief, mote-pata did not include the feet of any animal in the preparation. In fact, the origin of the name is the word “patazhca”, a cross between Kichwa-canari meaning “the surname is very cooked”. This tasty soup actually contains shelled beans, pork loin, chorizo, sambo seeds, milk, bacon, onion, achot, cumin, pepper, garlic and salt. According to culinary researchers Nydia Vázquez and Digna Carchi, mote-pata is a dish that has its roots in its ancestors in the southern highlands of Ecuador. The hulled seeds have long been the staple food of farmers here, and they use them in a variety of ways. On important occasions such as carnivals, it is always accompanied by some kind of meat and it is difficult to decide when to start cooking with pork. In any case, this preparation, which in the beginning was much simpler, gradually acquired the characteristics we know today. In the village they turn it into a delicious stew, to which they add many other ingredients such as milk, sambo seeds, bacon, chorizo, dill and more. Today, “Mote-Pata” is an indispensable dish in Cuenca’s Carnival celebrations. It is not a quick cooking dish, but surely lovers of good food will want to know how to prepare it, so we leave you the recipe: INGREDIENTS PREPARATION #I’m staying in Ecuador to live to the fullest with its traditional festivities and enjoy the exquisite cuisine typical of them, such as the famous “mote-pata” in Carnival.