Flavors · Cuenca

Mote pata

Thick mote soup with pork, chorizo and bacon, thickened with ground pumpkin seed and milk. It’s the dish of Cuenca’s Carnival, prepared in large pots during the festivities.

Traditional dish from Cuenca, Azuay

Also known as: Motepata, Mote pata cuencano

Updated October 2026

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Mote pata — Cuenca, Ecuador

Mote pata is a thick, well-seasoned soup. Mote, the peeled white corn, is cooked for a long time until tender, and is combined with pork, chorizo and bacon. The broth is thickened with pepa de zambo, the seed of a squash, toasted and ground with milk, and seasoned with onion, garlic, achiote, cumin and pepper.

Despite the name, the traditional Cuenca recipe does not include pata. Cooks from the city describe it as a dish that originated and is made in Cuenca, and the Ministry of Tourism’s gastronomic map lists it among the motes of Azuay province.

Mote pata is the food of Cuenca’s Carnival, almost exclusively eaten at that time. City cooks prepare large pots for thousands of people at public celebrations. In 2026, Cuenca achieved a Guinness World Record with the dish.

The preparation is long, and many families cook mote starting the night before. Markets and restaurants serve the dish during Carnival weeks, and some keep it on the menu outside the festival.

On the Carnival table, mote pata shares space with puchero and the season’s sweets.

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Where it comes from

Cuenca , Azuay
Dish of Cuenca’s Carnival, described by the city’s cooks as having originated in Cuenca.

Ingredients

Mote, pork (loin), chorizo, bacon, pepa de zambo (pumpkin seed) ground, milk, onion, garlic, achiote, cumin, pepper and salt.

How it is eaten

Very hot, in a deep bowl, eaten with a spoon. The soup is thick and hearty, almost a complete meal.

When it is eaten

Carnival, in February or March. Outside that period, only a few places serve it.

Your questions

Questions about Mote pata

Does mote pata include pig trotters?

No, despite the name. The traditional Cuenca recipe uses pork loin, chorizo and bacon.

When is mote pata eaten in Cuenca?

At Carnival, in February or March. It is the typical food of the festival, and outside it few places serve it.

What is pepa de zambo?

The seed of an Andean squash, toasted and ground with milk. It is what thickens and flavors the broth of mote pata.

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