Lorena Fernández Abdo
Food Writer · Journalist · Cultural Investigator
Selected Reporting
English
Another one bites the dust
The phenomenon of pica is common amongst Southern African nations, where pregnant women snack on clay and other non-food items.
English
On its final day in business, music lovers and the curious alike stop by Tower Records on the Sunset Strip.
Español
Documentos históricos sin guardianes
Publicado en El Comercio — 2009
Por primera vez en el Ecuador se hizo un inventario de archivos patrimoniales. El descuido los dejó a la merced de humedad y pestes.
Español
Tardes de humitas
Publicado en El Comercio — 2026
La humita no pierde su lugar en la mesa ecuatoriana, aun cuando las tamaleras están olvidadas en la esquina de la cocina.
ENGLISH
The start of an ongoing project to capture the multitude of breakfast foods across the rich provincial cultures of Ecuador.
Español
Bosque fantasma
Publicado en El Comercio — 2009
10 árboles gigantes fueron trasladados desde Ghana hasta la plaza Trafalgar Square, en Londres, como parte de una exhibición artística.
Español
Colada morada y guagua de pan
La exquisita tradición ecuatoriana de tomar colada morada y comer guaguas de pan en el Día de los Muertos es más que un ritual cultural; es también una concurso culinario.
English
Once upon a time,
a clay pot
One of the most iconic pieces of music in Ecuadorian culture was born on a cold night, at a house party.
What began as field research across Malawi became a book about food, culture, and the stories people tell through what they eat.
Eating Malawi
Eating Malawi began as an investigation into food insecurity and malnutrition in one of the world’s poorest countries. It demanded extensive research into Southern Africa’s agricultural systems, food history, and everyday eating habits, as well as months of independent field reporting across Malawi.
Travelling from the country’s northern tip to its southernmost districts, I spent time in rural villages, markets, factories, farms, and family kitchens, documenting not only what people eat, but the forces that shape those choices.
What I discovered transformed my understanding of food writing. Food is not simply a reflection of what grows in a field or is produced in a factory; it is a story of families, friendships, tradition, and hardship, plated. Eating Malawi tells the story of a country through the meals its people prepare and the lives they lead around them.
Self-publication in progress
Areas of expertise
Food from around the world
Culture
Ecuadorian food
Travel + hiking
Ongoing Investigation
The Ecuadorian start of the day
My current field investigation began when I was approached by the director of the Association of Chefs of Ecuador to serve as editor-in-chief of a publication about sustainable breakfasts from each province of the country. A chef from each province developed a typical breakfast from their region, highlighting local ingredients, practices and traditions.
As I worked with each chef to tell the stories behind their breakfasts, I encountered ingredients, recipes and culinary traditions I had never heard of before. In time, I began to see these differences as a window into the many cultures contained within Ecuadorian culinary culture.
I decided to expand my research, following the seemingly simple idea of breakfast from province to province, to investigate how the different regions and communities of Ecuador start their day—and how their breakfasts are shaped by geography, agriculture, history and taste.
Work with me
Available for:
- Journalism commissions
- Long-form reporting
- Speaking engagements
- Editorial collaborations
Lorena Fernández Abdo 