Encebollado
Tangy tuna soup with onions, cassava and lime. · Ecuador
Tangy tuna soup with onions, cassava and lime.
About Encebollado
Fresh tuna is simmered with cassava, tomato and pickled onion into a tangy, brothy soup brightened with lime and coriander. On the Ecuadorian coast it is a famous morning-after cure.
🏛️ History & Culture
Encebollado is a beloved coastal Ecuadorian soup, most strongly associated with the port city of Guayaquil, where it is widely considered a culinary icon. Its exact origins are debated, but it is generally understood to have emerged from the fusion of Indigenous coastal ingredients—like cassava (yuca)—with Spanish and Afro-Ecuadorian cooking traditions, reflecting the region’s maritime and agricultural history.
Regional variations are subtle but notable: while the base of tuna, cassava, and pickled red onion with lime and cilantro is constant, some versions add tomato, peanuts, or even a hint of achiote for color. Culturally, encebollado is a quintessential “levantamuertos” (reviver of the dead), traditionally eaten as a hearty breakfast or midday meal, and especially prized as a morning-after remedy for overindulgence, cementing its role in everyday coastal life and festive gatherings alike.
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Encebollado — frequently asked questions
What is Encebollado?
Fresh tuna is simmered with cassava, tomato and pickled onion into a tangy, brothy soup brightened with lime and coriander. On the Ecuadorian coast it is a famous morning-after cure.
What is Encebollado made of?
Encebollado is made with tuna, cassava, red onion, tomato and lime.
Where does Encebollado come from?
Encebollado comes from Ecuador, and is especially associated with Coast. Encebollado is a beloved coastal Ecuadorian soup, most strongly associated with the port city of Guayaquil, where it is widely considered a culinary icon.
Where can I eat Encebollado?
An Ecuadorian coastal eatery in the morning.
Taste Encebollado in Ecuador
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- 🇪🇨 Locro de Papa · Ecuador
- 🇧🇷 Pato no Tucupi · Brazil
- 🇬🇷 Sofegada · Greece
- 🇨🇳 Mapo Tofu · China
- 🇺🇦 Borscht · Ukraine
- 🇲🇲 Mohinga · Myanmar
- 🇨🇴 Tamales Tolimenses · Colombia
- 🇦🇷 Chinchulines · Argentina
- 🇧🇷 Bobó de Camarão · Brazil
- 🇵🇪 Anticuchos · Peru
- 🇧🇷 Açaí na Tigela · Brazil
- 🇬🇧 Sticky Toffee Pudding · United Kingdom
- 🇨🇱 Pastel de Choclo · Chile
- 🇮🇹 Ribollita · Italy
- 🇩🇰 Kammerjunker · Denmark
- 🇩🇰 Lagkage · Denmark
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