Highland · Hominy & Egg

Mote Pillo

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Its golden color doesn't come from the egg — it comes from achiote (annatto) oil, a coloring trick borrowed straight from Andean kitchens.

Cooked hominy (mote) sautéed with scrambled or fried egg, milk, cheese, and achiote-tinted oil until the kernels turn deep gold. A signature dish of Ecuador's southern highlands, especially Cuenca.

Why it's made this way: Hominy corn has fed the Andean highlands for centuries, and mote pillo turns that humble, filling staple into a protein-rich breakfast that market vendors serve to get workers going.