Page 33 - Winter2020
P. 33

On the Prejudice Against



            Coconut in the Land of




            Ecuadorian Encocados



            (Coconut Stews)





             By Pilar Egüez Guevara, PhD






                                      n an era of trendy diets and “superfoods” from around

                                      the world, it is hard to believe that those foods could
                                 Ibe inaccessible or even rejected by the people who

                                 live near or who grow them. Here is a summary of the
                                 complex story of why people in the tropical regions of

                                 Ecuador, where  coconut  is an  ancestral  food, have  a
                                 prejudice against coconut, why they have less access to

                                 it and what you can do to help make a change.
                                    Esmeraldas (literally “emeralds”) is known in the South American
                                 country of Ecuador as the “green province,” alluding to the lush vegeta-
                                 tion of its humid tropical forests. Located on Ecuador’s northern Pacific
                                 Coast and bordering Colombia, Esmeraldas is a region populated mostly
                                 by people of African descent. For working class mestizos (mixed-race
                                 people) from major cities in the highlands, Esmeraldas has always been the
                                 number-one vacation destination. Esmeraldas’ beaches are a mere six- to
                                 seven-hour drive from Quito, the capital city. The coastal area highlights
                                 the regional cuisine of Esmeraldas, particularly seafood, which is also a
                                 major attraction for visiting tourists!


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