El repe lojano es una deliciosa sopa de arvejas tiernas o de fréjol, a base de guineoverde, caldo y queso. Posee ingredientes de la Sierra y la Costa. / Repe Lojano isa delicious pea or bean soup, made with green bananas (not plantains), broth andcheese. It has ingredients of the Sierra and the Coast regions.papaya and watermelon, etc. Located nearby is La Toma, a smalltown that grew and prospered as a result of the sugarcane trade. Thelocal airport, serviced daily by TAME flights, is also located in thisarea. The food fare is quite good all around. I re<strong>com</strong>mend C<strong>ec</strong>ina, adish made with thinly sliced, salted and sundried pork meat, whethergrilled or fried, served with diced tomatoes and pickled onions, aswell as cooked yucca and radishes, which are all locally and freshlyproduced, well suited for this dish. Loja’s corn is the coastal variety,which is a smaller, harder and brighter yellow grain than what isgrown in the highlands. This is used to make Loja’s authentic tamales,similar to Humitas, but with a different texture, and stuffed withchicken or pork, olives, raisins, hardboiled eggs and peppers. Thetamales are served with green aji (hot sauce), made with spinach,cilantro and small-squash seeds, which in turn provides a sp<strong>ec</strong>ialflavor and color. The mixture of highland and coastal produce is wellblended here, resulting in emblematic dishes, such as Repe Lojano, adelicious pea or bean soup, made with green bananas (not plantains),broth and cheese.Vilcamaba is another valley near the capital of Loja, known as theValley of Eternal Youth, due to the amazing longevity of its residents,believed to be attributable to the quality of its spring-fed water, whichis bottled and sold at ridiculous prices. There is no scientific evidence,or a proper study that proves this, but this belief is accepted b<strong>ec</strong>auseof the valley’s pleasant, dry and mild climate, as well as the peaceand tranquility of the people that live there. You can also eat quitewell in this area. Malacatos has a dish called “Chanfaina”, a bold dishmade with pork meat and entrails, fried together with hominy, corn,plantains, potatoes or yucca. They also make Puntas of Malacatos,a sugarcane brew of high-grade alcohol; perhaps this is what madeit easier for me to try and digest the Chanfaina. In Zapotillo, in thesouthern part of the province, the climate is drier and even arid,appropriate for raising goats, which are cooked in many traditional100 ABRIL 15 - MAYO 15 / APRIL 15 - MAY 15 2013
“Chivo al hu<strong>ec</strong>o”, cocinado lentamentebajo tierra, dentro de una vasija debarro. / “Chivo al Hu<strong>ec</strong>o”, literally Goat in aHole, slowly cooked inside a large clay pot.En los valles se produce mucha cañade azúcar, el ingenio Monterrey, unode los más antiguos. / Sugarcane isproduced in Loja’s valleys. The Monterreysugar factory, one of the oldest in the areaways. The best is “Chivo al Hu<strong>ec</strong>o”, literally Goat in a Hole, slowlycooked inside a large clay pot with hot coals and stones and buriedunderground. It is among the best dishes I have ever tried.Sobre el autorHenry Richardson MorenoChef Profesional desde 1985, Gerente General delInstituto Culinario Internacional. Chef Ej<strong>ec</strong>utivo dePROCHEF S.A. Miembro de la Academia Culinaria deFrancia y Miembro Honorario del Culinary Academyof the Americas and The Panamerican Forum ofProfessional Culinary Associations. Es el productorej<strong>ec</strong>utivo de eventos benéficos anuales <strong>com</strong>o La GuaguaLinda, La Cena de La Rosa y La Cena de Solidaridad deLa Sociedad del Socorro a la Infancia, entre otros. Actúa<strong>com</strong>o Chef Consultivo de Ia Facultad de Gastronomíade Ia Universidad de Las Américas, y es Ia Imagen Corporativa de CUISINART y dePROFILE-MONOGRAM.