Espumilla (Ecuadorian Meringue Cream Dessert)

Espumilla is a meringue cream dessert that looks like ice cream and is often sold as street food in Ecuador. This perfect summer dessert is flavored with fruit and simple to make.

What is espumilla?

Espumilla ("foam" in Spanish) is considered one of the traditional desserts of Ecuadorian cuisine.

This dessert looks like ice cream, but has the peculiarity that it doesn't melt and is very easy to prepare. Its delicious flavor and its affordable price make this dessert a national favorite.

Espumilla was introduced through the convents and its mixture with local fruits, such as guava, has made it part of the gastronomic traditions of Ecuador. There is no specific date about when the consumption of this dessert began, however, there is a record of its presence since 1907.

What are espumillas made of?

Often made by hand, this delicious dessert consists of egg whites, sugar, and fruit pulp.

One of the most used fruits to prepare espumillas is guava.

However, they can also be prepared with other fruits such as banana, strawberries, blackberries, naranjilla (solanum quitoense - a tropical fruit from Colombia), or passion fruit. (When using these other fruits, you will need unflavored gelatin to be added to keep the mixture firm.)

How to make espumillas

The preparation of this dessert is not complicated, in fact, many Ecuadorian families make it in their own homes with great regularity.

For this recipe, I ventured out and made two different flavors. The traditional one with guava, and another with passion fruit.

The first step to making espumilla is to ready the fruit pulp that you will use to flavor the cream.

Once you have all the fruit pulp ready, you are ready to start by whisking egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until they are smooth and glossy.

Since we are making two different flavors, then you separate the glossy meringue into two bowls, and add guava pulp to one half, and passion fruit pulp to the other half.

Finally, you whip each meringue on high until it reaches stiff peaks and the sugar dissolves. This will take about 5 to 7 minutes.

How to pick a good guava

Guava is a tropical fruit that is very similar to tomato (especially on the inside), both in its appearance and for some of its nutritional characteristics. The fruit, however, is sweet. It tastes fruity and slightly floral.

The more ripe a guava is, the softer it is. A softer guava makes it easier to smash it and separate the pulp from the seeds and the skin.

If the guavas are firm, cut them up and microwave them for 40 seconds. It works really well to soften them.

How to make passion fruit espumilla

Passion fruit are a very aromatic fruit. They can range from sweet to very sour in taste.

Espumillas made with passion fruit usually use unflavored gelatin to stabilize it. I managed to make it without the gelatin, by adding only enough pulp to flavor the meringue, an no more.

Passion fruit is full of seeds. To get the pulp, I placed the inside of the fruit in a bowl and microwaved it for 40 seconds. Then I used a strainer and, with the help of a spatula, strained the pulp through.

How long does espumilla hold its shape?

The guava espumilla kept its shape very well for more than 4 hours.

The passion fruit espumilla started to get soft after 4 hours (because I didn't use gelatin).

How to serve espumilla

Espumilla looks a lot like ice cream and it is traditionally served like ice cream as well.

Since this is a common street food, you will often find espumilla served in ice cream cones or disposable cups, topped with fun, colored sprinkles.

Pieces of fruit or a tablespoon of blackberry jam are also common decorative toppings.

These meringue creams make for a fun summer treat. Having both flavors in a cone, its a delicious experience.