Flavors · Ibarra

Helado de paila

Ice cream made from fruit juice beaten by hand in a copper paila that spins over ice and salt, without a machine. It is Ibarra’s sweet tradition, where the recipe’s history is attributed to a family since the late 19th century.

Traditional sweet from Ibarra, Imbabura

Also known as: Helados de paila, Helado de paila de Ibarra

Updated October 2026

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Helado de paila — Ibarra, Ecuador — Helado de paila

Helado de paila — Ibarra, Ecuador

Paila ice cream is a handmade ice cream. Sweetened fruit juice is placed in a paila, a wide copper pan, set on a base of ice and salt. The ice-cream maker spins the pan and scrapes the edges with a wooden spoon, continuously, until the juice freezes and becomes a light ice cream with a texture similar to a sorbet.

It is the sweet tradition most associated with Ibarra, the capital of Imbabura. The most told story in the city attributes the creation to Rosalía Suárez, who reportedly began making and selling the ice cream in 1896 while still a teenager; according to the account, the first ice came from the slopes of the Imbabura volcano. Descendants of the family and other ice-cream makers keep the technique alive in Ibarra.

Local historians also note that the technique of cooling with ice and salt was known earlier, and that the Suárez family popularized it in the city.

The most traditional flavors are blackberry and soursop, and there are many others made from Andean and tropical fruits. The ice cream is served in a small cup or a cone.

In Ibarra, it is common to see the preparation in plain view, with the paila spinning over the ice in downtown ice-cream shops.

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Where it comes from

Ibarra , Imbabura
Ibarra sweet tradition, where the recipe is attributed to a family since the late 19th century.

Ingredients

Fruit juice or pulp (blackberry, soursop and others), sugar and, in some recipes, egg white. Ice and salt stay outside the paila, only to chill it.

How it is eaten

In a small cup or a cone, right after it’s made, because it melts quickly.

When it is eaten

All year round, especially on hot afternoons in Ibarra.

Your questions

Questions about Helado de paila

How is paila ice cream made?

The fruit juice is beaten by hand in a copper paila that spins over ice and salt until it freezes. No machine is used.

Who created paila ice cream?

The most told story in Ibarra attributes the creation to Rosalía Suárez, around 1896. It is a family account, preserved by descendants.

What are the traditional flavors?

Blackberry and soursop are the most traditional, but there are many others made from Andean and tropical fruits.

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