On one side of the Arco de la Reina stands the Monasterio de Carmen Alto . Inside this fully functioning convent, cloistered nuns stay busy producing some of Quito’s tastiest traditional sweets. Top picks include the limones desamargados (literally ‘de-soured lemons’), made by hollowing out tiny lemons and filling them with a sweetened-milk concoction. Purchase them through a revolving contraption, which keeps the nuns hidden, or at the shop next door, where you can also buy traditional baked goods, aromatic waters for nerves and insomnia, bee pollen, honey and bottles of full-strength mistela (anise-flavored liqueur).
