In Latin America, Lent is full of elaborate Catholic rituals, from palm weavings and sawdust carpets to processions of robed penitents. But only in Ecuador will you find fanesca, the equally elaborate ...

Robert Sietsema is the former Eater NY senior critic with more than 35 years of experience covering dining in New York City. The last week of Lent in the run-up to Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week.

It’s many things to Ecuadorans: a social event, a culinary treat, a religious and historical tradition that is prepared at home for family and friends during Holy Week. It’s called fanesca, and it’s a ...

Fanesca is a lavish Ecuadorian salt cod and vegetable chowder served during Semana Santa, or the Holy Week leading up to Easter. For a soup with so many ingredients, fanesca is amazingly subtle, with ...

The Catholic world commemorates Holy Week, a reminder of the passion and death of Jesus Christ that begins with the representation of his entry into Jerusalem, with Palm Sunday, and ends with ...

The Mercure Alameda Hotel in Quito, Ecuador, makes a hearty soup that regularly appears among the 12 winners of the city's annual fanesca competition. In Latin America, Lent is full of elaborate ...

This thick, creamy stew features 12 "grains" to represent the Twelve Apostles and cod to denote Jesus. It takes days and many hands to prepare, a... In Latin America, Lent is full of elaborate ...