Cuenca Sets Guinness World Record for the Largest Mote Pata — 9,500 Servings of Ecuador's Iconic Carnival Stew

Cuenca just cooked its way into the record books.

The Record

On Saturday, February 14, a team of 30 chefs and assistants prepared approximately 9,500 servings of mote pata — Cuenca's signature Carnival stew — in the Plaza de San Francisco in Cuenca's historic center. A Guinness World Records representative, Natalia Ramírez, monitored every stage of the process from preparation through serving and officially certified the achievement.

Mayor Cristian Zamora celebrated the moment on social media: "¡Cuenca entra al libro Récords, somos destino gastronómico del mundo!" (Cuenca enters the Records book — we are a gastronomic destination of the world!)

What Is Mote Pata?

If you've lived in Cuenca for any length of time, you've almost certainly encountered this dish — especially during Carnival.

Mote pata (sometimes written as "motepata") is a thick, hearty stew built on three core ingredients:

• Mote — large-kernel hominy corn that has been treated with lime or alkaline solution, a staple across the Ecuadorian highlands
• Pork — typically pork ribs or leg, slow-cooked until falling apart
• Pepas de sambo — ground sambo squash seeds that are mixed into a paste and stirred into the broth, giving the stew its distinctive creamy thickness and nutty flavor

The dish is deeply embedded in Azuayan cultural identity and is traditionally prepared in large quantities for community Carnival celebrations — making it the perfect candidate for a world record.

This was the third annual large-scale mote pata event in Plaza de San Francisco, organized by the Proyecto Cuenca Destino Gastronómico (Cuenca Gastronomic Destination Project) through the Fundación Municipal Turismo para Cuenca (Municipal Tourism Foundation). Students from the Catholic University of Cuenca assisted in the massive preparation.

Cuenca's Gastronomic Rise

The Guinness record is the latest milestone in a deliberate campaign to position Cuenca as a world-class food destination:

| Year | Achievement | |------|------------| | 2024 | Culinary Capitals designation from the World Food Travel Association | | 2025 | UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation | | 2026 | Guinness World Record for world's largest mote pata |

The Carnival Parade

The record-setting cooking event was followed the next day by Cuenca's official Carnival parade — the "Carnaval de los Ríos de Cuenca" — on Sunday, February 15.

The parade processed down Calle Bolívar through Cuenca's historic center, organized by the Amistad Club and the Unión de Periodistas del Azuay (UPA). Over 40 delegations participated, including:

• The University of Cuenca
• The Provincial Government of Azuay
• Various municipal departments
• Olimpiadas Especiales (Special Olympics) — children and adolescents with disabilities
• Schools from parishes including El Valle and Checa

Marco Morocho represented "Taita Carnaval" — the iconic carnival figure — wearing a traditional black hat and red striped poncho. Live musical groups performed traditional carnival songs, cumbias, and national pasacalles while hundreds of spectators filled the streets.

The parade also featured a tribute to Julio Calle, a beloved sports journalist who passed away in 2025, with family members carrying his photograph along the route.

What This Means for Expats

• If you're in Cuenca: Carnival celebrations continue through Tuesday. Expect water balloons, foam spray (espuma), and festive chaos in the streets — it's all in good fun, but dress accordingly and protect electronics
• Try the mote pata: This is the perfect time. Virtually every market and many restaurants in Cuenca serve it during Carnival. The Mercado 10 de Agosto and Mercado 9 de Octubre are reliable spots
• Cultural pride: The Guinness record is a genuine point of civic pride. Engaging with it — trying the dish, asking about the ingredients, expressing appreciation — is a great way to connect with your Cuencan neighbors
• UNESCO status matters: Cuenca's UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation (2025) is increasingly attracting food tourism and international media attention. This is raising the city's global profile in ways that benefit the broader expat community

Sources: Teleamazonas, El Mercurio