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Market Stall · Cheese Potato Cakes

Llapingachos

Llapingachos — street food from Tungurahua, Ecuador
Photo: young shanahan from Bratislava, Slovakia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

The patties are fried on a griddle greased with achiote-infused oil, which is what gives them their signature orange-red crust.

Mashed potato is mixed with cheese, formed into patties and pan-fried on an achiote-oiled griddle until crusted golden. Ambato's market stalls serve them with fried egg, chorizo, avocado and peanut sauce.

Why it's made this way: Llapingachos are closely identified with Ambato and the wider Tungurahua province, where they're a market-stall staple served as a full plate rather than a side dish.
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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.