Flavors · Manabí

Viche

Thick fish and seafood soup thickened with ground peanuts, with green plantain, corn and vegetables. It is the dish that represents the traditional cuisine of Manabí, an intangible cultural heritage of Ecuador.

Traditional dish from Manabí

Also known as: Viche manabita, Viche de pescado

Updated October 2026

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Viche — Manabí, Ecuador

Viche is a thick fish soup, generally made with albacore, sometimes with shrimp, thickened with ground peanuts. The broth includes green and ripe plantain, sliced corn, cassava, squash, sweet potato, fava beans and fresh beans, depending on the season. It is served with white rice and lime.

Peanuts are what set viche apart from other coastal soups and are one of the foundations of Manabí cuisine, along with corn and plantain. The Ministry of Tourism’s gastronomic map identifies viche as the province’s dish.

In 2018, the Ministry of Culture and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage recognized traditional Manabí cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador, after an inventory carried out in the rural parishes of Portoviejo. Viche is one of the dishes most often remembered from that cuisine, and historian Libertad Regalado links it to other names ending in -iche, of indigenous origin.

Viche is considered an ancestral, family dish because its preparation is time-consuming. In Manabí, during Holy Week it is as sought after as fanesca, the Lenten soup in the rest of the country.

Restaurants in Portoviejo, Manta and across the Manabí coast serve viche, and Portoviejo has prepared giant pots of the dish at municipal events.

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Where it comes from

Manabí
A dish of the entire province, designated by the Ministry of Tourism for Manabí, whose traditional cuisine is an intangible heritage of Ecuador.

Ingredients

Fish (albacore) and sometimes shrimp; ground peanuts; green and ripe plantain; corn; cassava; squash; sweet potato; fava beans and fresh beans; onion, bell pepper and cilantro. Served with rice and lime.

How it is eaten

Very hot, in a deep bowl, eaten with a spoon, with rice on the side and lime to taste.

When it is eaten

Year-round; very popular during Holy Week in Manabí.

Your questions

Questions about Viche

What is viche?

A thick fish and seafood soup thickened with ground peanuts, with green plantain, corn and vegetables. It is the dish that represents Manabí cuisine.

Does viche contain peanuts?

Yes. Ground peanuts are the base that thickens and flavors the broth.

Is Manabí cuisine a heritage?

Yes. Traditional Manabí cuisine was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador in 2018.

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