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Street Stall · Smoked Fish & Plantain Stew

Tapao Esmeraldeño

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The dish gets its name from being cooked tightly "tapado" (covered) in the pot, a method that steams the plantain and smoked fish together rather than boiling them in liquid.

Smoked or salted fish is layered with green plantain and simmered covered until everything softens into a fragrant one-pot stew. Street cooks in Esmeraldas serve it in bowls with a side of rice.

Why it's made this way: The smoked-fish preservation method and tightly covered cooking style are specific to Esmeraldas's Afro-Ecuadorian coastal cooking tradition.
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Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.