Flavors · Esmeraldas

Encocado

Fish or shellfish cooked in coconut milk with a sauté of onion, tomato and bell pepper and the herb chillangua, served with rice and patacones. It is the dish that represents Esmeraldas cuisine.

Traditional dish from Esmeraldas

Also known as: Encocao, Encocado esmeraldeño, Encocado de pescado

Updated October 2026

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Encocado — Esmeraldas, Ecuador — Encocado

Encocado — Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Encocado is fish or shellfish cooked in a coconut milk sauce. Preparation begins with a sauté in annatto oil, which gives it the orange color, with onion, garlic, tomato and bell pepper. Then freshly grated coconut milk and the fish or shrimp are added; they cook briefly in the sauce. Chillangua, a wild cilantro from the northern coast, perfumes the dish.

The gastronomic map from the Ministry of Tourism lists encocado, calling it encocao, as the dish of the province of Esmeraldas. It is one of the emblems of Esmeraldas’s Afro cuisine, in which coconut appears in many everyday recipes.

There are fish encocado, shrimp encocado, crab and mixed versions. The dish is also made in Manabí and other parts of the coast, but sources link it most strongly to Esmeraldas.

It is served with white rice, patacones, slices of fried green plantain smashed, and sometimes boiled cassava, avocado and lime.

The sauce is mild and not very spicy; those who want more heat use the ají served on the side.

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Where it comes from

Esmeraldas
Dish indicated by the Ministry of Tourism for Esmeraldas, emblem of Afro-Esmeraldas cuisine, without a specific city of origin.

Ingredients

Fish or shellfish (shrimp, crab), coconut milk, onion, garlic, tomato, bell pepper, annatto oil, chillangua (wild cilantro) and salt. Served with rice, patacones and sometimes cassava, avocado and lime.

How it is eaten

At lunch, with the fish and coconut sauce over the rice and the patacones at the side. It is eaten with a fork.

When it is eaten

Year-round, at lunch.

Your questions

Questions about Encocado

What is encocado?

Fish or shellfish cooked in coconut milk with a sauté of onion, tomato and bell pepper, served with rice and patacones. It is the dish that represents the cuisine of Esmeraldas.

Is encocado spicy?

No. The coconut sauce is mild, and the spiciness is provided by the ají served on the side.

What is chillangua?

A wild cilantro from the northern coast of Ecuador, used to perfume encocado and other dishes.

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