Five Market Vendors Just Made the Finals of Cuenca's Papas con Cuero Competition — And You Can Taste-Test Them All
Cuenca Expat Staff
What's Happening
The Ruta de las Papas con Cuero — Cuenca's competition to crown the city's best version of the iconic potato-and-pork-skin soup — just named its five finalists for the second edition.
Judging began on April 27 across multiple municipal markets, with evaluations continuing today (April 28) at Mercado 27 de Febrero, Mercado 12 de Abril, and El Arenal. The finals and award ceremony are May 2 at 2:30 PM at Mercado 3 de Noviembre.
The Five Finalists
These are the vendors who made the cut:
- Lolita Sangurima — Mercado 9 de Octubre
- Monserrath Albarracín — Mercado 3 de Noviembre
- Rosita Auquilla — Mercado 10 de Agosto
- Dolores Chapa — Plataforma Valdiviezo
- Zoila Arévalo — Narancay
Each was evaluated by a panel led by Patricia Ortiz, gastronomy professor at the Universidad de Cuenca. The criteria: authenticity of the recipe, respect for traditional flavors, cooking techniques, ingredient quality, plate presentation, and customer service.
As Ortiz put it: "La diferencia estará en los pequeños detalles" — the difference will be in the small details.
The Dish
If you haven't tried papas con cuero yet, this is your sign. It's a hearty soup made with potatoes and pork skin, slow-cooked until the cuero is tender and the broth is thick. It's comfort food, market food, the kind of thing cuencanos grow up eating.
A bowl runs $1.50 to $3 depending on the market.
What This Means for You
You now have five expert-vetted spots to try some of the best papas con cuero in the city. All are at municipal markets, all are cheap, and all are open now.
If you want to see the finals live, show up at Mercado 3 de Noviembre on May 2 at 2:30 PM. It's organized by the city's Dirección de Mercados and it's free to watch.
This is the kind of thing that makes living here different from just visiting. You eat a $2 bowl of soup at a market stall where the vendor just beat 30 other cooks in a citywide competition. Good luck getting that in Miami.
Source: El Mercurio
