III Festival Ruta de la Fanesca -- Grand Final April 12 at Mercado 12 de Abril
Cuenca Expat Staff
Cuenca's Biggest Fanesca Competition Returns
It's Holy Week, and that means fanesca -- Ecuador's beloved Easter soup. The city's III Festival Ruta de la Fanesca has been winding through Cuenca's municipal markets, and the grand final is coming up on Thursday, April 12 at 10:00 AM at the Mercado 12 de Abril (located at Av. Guapondelag and Eloy Alfaro).
If you've never experienced fanesca, this is your introduction. If you're already a fan, the festival is a chance to taste the best versions from the best market cooks in the city.
What Is Fanesca?
Fanesca is Ecuador's traditional Easter soup, and it's unlike anything else in the country's cuisine. It's a thick, rich, creamy soup made with 12 different grains and legumes -- representing the 12 apostles -- plus salted dried fish (bacalao). The base typically includes milk, cream, peanuts, and a variety of spices.
The 12 grains/legumes traditionally include:
- Fava beans (habas)
- Lentils
- Peas (arvejas)
- Beans (frejol)
- Lupini beans (chochos)
- Corn (choclo)
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Sambo (a type of squash)
- Zapallo (pumpkin)
- Melloco
- Wheat (trigo)
Every family, every cook, every market vendor has their own variation. Some are lighter and brothier; others are thick enough to stand a spoon in. The toppings typically include fried plantain chips, hard-boiled egg, empanadas, and hot pepper sauce.
Fanesca is only made during Semana Santa (Holy Week). It's a seasonal dish -- you can't just walk into a restaurant in July and order it. The ingredients are specific to the harvest season, and the preparation is labor-intensive. Many families spend an entire day making it together. It's as much a social ritual as a meal.
The Festival
This is the third year the city has organized the Festival Ruta de la Fanesca, and it's grown into a genuine event. Here's how it works:
Seven municipal markets participated:
- 27 de Febrero
- 12 de Abril
- 10 de Agosto
- 9 de Octubre
- 4 de Noviembre
- Feria Libre (El Arenal)
- 3 de Noviembre
Pre-final tastings took place on March 30-31 across the participating markets. Judges visited each market to evaluate the fanesca offerings from individual vendors, scoring on flavor, presentation, texture, and adherence to traditional recipes.
The grand final brings the top finalists together at a single location:
- Date: Thursday, April 12
- Time: 10:00 AM
- Location: Mercado 12 de Abril (Av. Guapondelag and Eloy Alfaro)
Expect a festive atmosphere with tastings available to the public, live music, and the announcement of Cuenca's best fanesca of 2026.
Why the Markets Matter
Cuenca's municipal markets are the culinary heart of the city. While restaurants get the Instagram posts and the TripAdvisor reviews, the markets are where Cuencanos actually eat. The women (and they are overwhelmingly women) who cook in the markets have been perfecting their recipes for decades -- sometimes across generations.
Fanesca is a dish that rewards experience and intuition. The balance of 12+ ingredients, the seasoning of the fish, the consistency of the base -- these are skills developed over years of practice. A market cook who has been making fanesca every Holy Week for 30 years is going to produce something that no restaurant chef can easily replicate.
What This Means for Expats
- The grand final on April 12 at Mercado 12 de Abril is open to the public. Show up around 10:00 AM, bring cash, and be ready to eat. Portions are typically $3-5 and generous
- If you've never tried fanesca, this is the moment. The festival concentrates the best versions in one place, so you're virtually guaranteed an excellent first experience
- Even if you missed the pre-final rounds, the participating markets are still serving fanesca throughout Holy Week. Visit any of the seven listed markets and ask for fanesca -- multiple vendors will have it
- Fanesca is filling. A single bowl is a complete meal. Don't plan a big lunch afterward
- It's not for everyone. Fanesca is rich, creamy, and strongly flavored. If you have dietary restrictions (dairy, gluten, fish), this dish is challenging. But if you can eat it, you should try it at least once -- it's one of Ecuador's most important culinary traditions
- Bring cash to the market. Most market vendors don't accept cards
- The festival is also a great opportunity to explore the markets themselves. If you haven't spent time in Mercado 12 de Abril or Feria Libre, use the fanesca festival as an excuse to go. The markets are worth visiting year-round
Fanesca season comes once a year. Don't miss it.
Sources: El Mercurio, La Voz del Tomebamba
