Mercado La Merced
Riobamba's best-known food market, where the whole roast pig known as “ornado” is the local signature, served with potato cakes, corn and hot sauce.
Ornado is a celebrated dish of the Andean highlands: a whole pig roasted slowly until the skin is crisp and the meat juicy. Several stalls sit side by side in the market, and you can try a sample before ordering. A plate usually costs a few dollars and comes with potato cakes, fried corn and pickled onions. The market also sells fresh juices and traditional snacks. It is in the city center, and ornado is most plentiful from morning until noon. Watch your belongings when it is crowded.
Opening hours
About 07:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Riobamba Historic Center & Parque Maldonado
- Riobamba Cathedral
- Museo de Arte Religioso de la Concepción
- Guano
- Balbanera Church
- Laguna de Colta
- Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve
- Guamote Thursday Market