The Cuban ropa vieja and the Ecuadorian encebollado are facing off in the round of 16 of the 2026 Food World Cup by Ibai Llanos, the viral gastronomic tournament that the popular Spanish streamer is organizing for the second consecutive year, allowing millions of followers to vote on social media.
The duel was presented by Ibai in an Instagram video that garnered 65,000 likes and more than 5,800 comments, along with a direct question to his audience: "Who should advance to the next round? Cuban ropa vieja or Ecuadorian encebollado? It's your turn to vote and make the decision."
In the video, the streamer described ropa vieja as a stew of shredded beef with onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato, olives, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and beef broth, and noted that the dish "has its origins in the Canary Islands."
Indeed, ropa vieja has its roots in medieval Spanish cuisine, with antecedents in Sephardic tradition, and it arrived in Cuba through Canary Island emigrants in the 19th century. The first documented mention of the dish on the island dates back to 1857.
The Cuban version is distinguished from the Canary one by omitting chickpeas and focusing on shredded beef with sofrito, and it is considered one of the national dishes of the island alongside roasted pig and congrí rice.
On the other side of the dish, the encebollado comes with solid credentials. It is a tuna soup with yuca, tomato, onion, cilantro, chili, cumin, and lemon, accompanied by chifles, and was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador in July 2024.
Ibai recognized in the video the significance of the rival dish: "The legendary encebollado that was already at the breakfast world cup" held last year. That tournament was, according to the influencer himself, "totally historic, with demonstrations in the streets and television programs" discussing the contest. Peru won with the pan con chicharrón, defeating Venezuela in the final by 12.8 million votes to 12.6 million.
The 2026 Food World Cup was announced with a bracket of 16 countries on August 20, with the followers themselves choosing the representative dishes of each nation.
Among the other Round of 16 matches are Spain vs. Argentina, Paraguay vs. Uruguay, Peru vs. Honduras, Guatemala vs. Mexico, the Dominican Republic vs. Colombia, Venezuela vs. El Salvador, and Bolivia vs. Chile.
Voting takes place on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Cuba will present ropa vieja as its dish to advance in a tournament where national gastronomic pride transforms, edition after edition, into a cultural movement of continental reach.
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