Quito, Ecuador - Night Eats

Floresta Night Market
Floresta is a neighborhood northeast of the historic district.  There have a well organized night market in one of the small parks there.  After our volcano cycling day we were hungrier than usual and stepped outside our house and flagged a cab there.

It's obvious as you approach, you see plumes of smoke rising above the buildings.  At one edge of the park there is a neatly spaced row of silver food carts.

The first thing that caught our ear was the sizzle of dough in oil.  The dough is rolled and cut into flat wedges, then dropped into oil.  They puff up and get crispy within 30 seconds.

The vendor then gives them a coating of sugar.  They're very light and flaky.  Quite nice.

Next up, a classic Ecuadorean "drink" which feels more like a pudding.  It is called Morocho and the base is made from a locally grown white corn.  They boil it milk, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and raisins.  It is wonderful, especially on a cold night.

For my main course I was drawn to this cart.  I ordered what they listed as a "completa."

It's fried mashed potatoes, grilled pork, two types of sausages, a salad with pickled beets, topped with a runny fried egg.  I am absolutely sure it was the best thing in the market.

Dodo went for tripe soup.  I am not a big fan of tripe but it was nice, at least the soup was.

After we finished eating we watched the local dance performances.  Best of all was this young girl dancing with a large bottle balanced on her head.