Cotacachi Restaurants and Hotels

Apr 14th, 2008 by Gary

Cotacachi restaurants and hotels offer excellent food…unlike what first time visitors expect.

Here is the open air court yard of one Cotacachi restaurant…the Quinoa Cafe situated in Hotel El Meson de las Flores.

Actually not many Cotacachi hotels have restaurants…just three in fact, La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa, Hotel El Meson de las Flores and Hotel Rancho Santa Fe.

So a more correct phrase is: Cotacachi restaurants and the hotels with restaurants offer excellent food…unlike what first time visitors expect.

Upcoming Ecuador Living updates will focus on numerous Cotacachi restaurants ranging from those offering gormet meals such as La Mirage to one nearby restaurant where you can dine for 50 cents!

Here we look at a special quality in our Cotacachi restaurant…Quinoa Cafe, because Ecuadorians are noted as among the longest lived people on earth.

This longevity in part is from Andean foods and nutritional habits that began long ago.

Since ancient times Andean Yatchaks, Shamans and Curanderos have taught healthy living supported by good nutrition. They based these healthy lifestyles on three ideals; clean food, good food combinations and a correct fat, carbohydrate and protein balance.

Take for example this group who are staying with us now. Here they are in the indoor dining room.

When this group arrived they were greeted by our staff with a welcoming cake. Here is our chef Santiago and server Dahlia with the cake…but this is no ordinary cake.

This is quinoa cake…high in protein, low in carbohydrates and fat…yet delicious!

Quinoa has been called a super food. Here it is in a Cotacachi field.

The Quinoa Cafe celebrates the wisdom of the past and combines it with the unity of mankind. Special Andean meals are flavored by famous foods of the world.

Quinoa Cafe’s core bill of fare is based on Quinoa, often referred to as
the Andean grain, a wonderful food, native to the Andes. Quinoa sustained the ancient Incas and has been grown continuously for over 5,000 years. The plant thrives in poor soil, and the high mountain terrain of South America’s Andes.

Qunioa has been described as the supergrain. Actually it is the seed of a leafy plant that’s related to spinach. What makes quinoa special is that it has a very high protein content, more than any single grain. Plus unlike grain, quinoa has the amino acid lysine, so the protein is complete.

The World Health Organization ranks quinoa protein equivalent to milk.

Quinoa offers more iron than grains and contains magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, B vitamins: B6, niacin, magnesium, zinc, copper. It is also a good source of folate (folic acid).

Quinoa is delicious and can be substituted for almost any other grain.

In addition to quinoa flan, quinoa bread, quinoa cake and other high protein treats, here are a few of the meals our restaurant in Cotacachi serves.
The Quinoa Cafe offers delicious meals, each naturally filled with protein, vitamins and high energy from the Andes but each inspired by different flavors of the world.

Qunioa Amazonia (Quinoa, Coco, Tropical fruit & Macadamian Nuts)

Quinoa Paella Espanol (Shrimp, Corvina, Saffron, chives, Bell Peppers)

Quinoa Italiana (Organic Ground Beef and Marinara sauce)

Quinoa Tabuli Middle Eastern (Feta Cheese, Olives, Tomatoes and Mint Drizzled in Olive Oil)

Quinoa North Americana (Chili, Ground beef, Tomatoes and Peppers)

Quinoa Asian (Chinese Vegetables, Egg, Spring Onion and Chicken)

Quinoa Andean (Yapangachos, Choclo and Cheese and Egg)

Quinoa Curry India (Cumin, Spices, Vegetables-Chicken or Beef)

Our hotel and restaurant staff are always thinking about your health as well as eating pleasure. For example here is one of the coffee breaks served to this recent group. Fresh strawberries, gooseberries, and fresh coconut balls covered in organic Ecuador chocolate, hand dipped at the restaurant. Delicious but healthy too.

The next Ecuador Living update looks at quinoa recipes.