Every Saturday, Riobamba hosts one of the largest indigenous markets in Ecuador. Amerindians from villages across Chimborazo Province pour into town before dawn, and by morning several city squares and the surrounding streets are packed with stalls selling woollen blankets, ponchos, hand-embroidered textiles, guinea pigs, pigs, live chickens, vegetables, and fresh produce. The market is entirely functional — this is where local people buy and sell, not a show put on for tourists — which gives it an authenticity that's increasingly hard to find.
The best section for food is around Parque de la Concepción, where women in traditional dress cook hornado (whole roast pork, slow-cooked over wood fires) and llapingachos (fried potato patties stuffed with cheese and served with peanut sauce). Arrive early for the best selection; by early afternoon the stalls begin to pack up.