I stumbled on Ecuador's best-kept sweet secret in the town of Cayambe

It's entirely appropriate that my brief stopover in Cayambe takes place during one of my longest travel days in Ecuador. Bizcochos, the tasty treat that the town is best known for, increased in popularity only after the railway line reached town almost a century ago, enabling passengers to appease their hunger with a crispy sponge cake that was originally made by monks to feed indigenous farm workers around town.

The recipe combines flour with butter, egg yolks, salt, wild aniseed and spring water, and the bakery that specialises in making it inside wood-fired ovens is called San Pedro. A stop at this eatery is not listed on my Cayambe itinerary - one that's been organised by Latin American travel specialists, Contours Travel. But with the irresistible aroma of fresh-baked goods wafting through my nostrils, it couldn't come at a better time. Accompanied by stringy cheese and a sprinkling of caramel sauce, it's a memorable treat. Delicioso!