Chilean cuisine facts for kids

Dulce de leche, known in Chile as manjar

Mote con huesillo

Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of traditional Spanish cuisine, Chilean Mapuche culture and local ingredients, with later important influences from other European cuisines, particularly from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The food tradition and recipes in Chile are notable for the variety of flavours and ingredients, with the country's diverse geography and climate hosting a wide range of agricultural produce, fruits and vegetables. The long coastline and the peoples' relationship with the Pacific Ocean add an immense array of seafood to Chilean cuisine, with the country's waters home to unique species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae, thanks to the oxygen-rich water carried in by the Humboldt Current. Chile is also one of the world's largest producers of wine and many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by local wines. The confection dulce de leche was invented in Chile and is one of the country's most notable contributions to world cuisine.

Chilean cuisine shares some similarities with Mediterranean cuisine, as the Matorral region, stretching from 32° to 37° south, is one of the world's five Mediterranean climate zones.

History

With the arrival of the Spanish conquerors led by Pedro de Valdivia in 1540 came some of the products that would become staples of Chilean cuisine—wheat, pigs, sheep, cattle, chickens and wine—while the native peoples contributed potatoes, maize, beans, and seafood. Various combinations of these basic ingredients form the basis of most characteristic Chilean dishes. After the establishment of the colony, products and dishes like chuchoca (coarsely ground dry corn), humitas, locro, and seaweeds like cochayuyo and luche served with boiled eggs became popular. Meals in colonial times tended to be heavy and rich. Lunch was always bigger than dinner, starting with a dish called de residencia of fish, meat, or poultry, followed by a guiso stew with choclo (fresh sweet corn) and potatoes. There were three kinds of bread accompanying the meals: tortilla de rescoldo, Spanish bread (made of fatty dough), and Chilean bread (flat and crunchy). Lunch and dinner ended with herbal infusions, generally paico to help digestion, and finally fruit for dessert, mainly strawberries and lucumas.

In the seventeenth century, pastry was popularized by the nuns who baked it in convents. A popular Chilean saying, “tiene mano de monja” (“s/he has the hands of a nun”), comes from this period and refers to someone who is skilled at baking or cooking in general. The nuns’ pastry recipes quickly become popular among the rest of the Chilean population. During the same period, geese and turkeys arrived in Chile from Mexico and melons and watermelons came from Jamaica. During the eighteenth century, Chilean cuisine started to become more sophisticated, particularly among the aristocracy. Tea and coffee began to replace mate, Chilean wine became popular and people started to drink chicha, a sweet, undistilled wine made from fermented grapes or apples.

During the early years of Chilean independence, the so-called Patria Vieja, Chileans celebrated with empanadas, chicha and red wine, which is still traditional today at the annual celebrations of independence.

Immigration to Chile

During the nineteenth century, Chile began to form its own identity and food became a part of this. Immigration, which had been limited and incidental at the beginning of the young republic, was now actively encouraged by the Chilean government between late nineteenth century and early 20th century. The variety of produce increased with the arrival of German immigrants in the south of the country, who had a strong influence on Chilean cuisine, even until today. They brought with them pork dishes, sausages and pastries. Today, Berliners and kuchens are common in bakeries throughout Chile. Italian immigrants contributed pasta and meat products, and in towns like Capitán Pastene in the south of Chile, they still prepare prosciutto in the same way as the first Italian immigrants.

In the twentieth century, French culture had a strong influence on Chile, including its cuisine. French gastronomy and techniques influenced the preparation of the food, and even replaced some dishes, for example the Spanish tortilla, which was replaced by the omelette. Along with the Italians, Germans, and French came Croatians, Greeks, Palestinians, Belgians and Basques. In the 21st century, Chile is a modern and prosperous country with strong economic growth bringing greater disposable income and the consequent development of a rich gastronomic industry.

To some extent food consumption is related to blanqueamiento or whitening. For example, in Osorno, a Chilean city with a strong German heritage, consumption of desserts, marmalades and kuchens whitens the inhabitants of the city. While indigenous and raw dishes such a ñachi are associated with masculinity, European cuisine and specially desserts are considered feminine.

Major crops and products

Agriculture in Chile encompasses a wide range of different activities and products, due to the unique geography, climate and geology. Historically, agriculture was one of the bases of Chile's economy; now, however, agriculture and related sectors like forestry, logging and fishing accounts for only about 4.9% of the GDP. Major agricultural products of Chile include grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, maize, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool, fish and timber.

American crops

• Cherimoya or chirimoya: this fruit native to the subtropical regions of the Peruvian Andes mountains is widely consumed and produced.
• Maize: Known in Chile and Peru as choclo, and in some English-speaking countries as corn, maize was the staple diet that prospered in the empires of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas. It was also cultivated using varying techniques by the Atacameño people of northern Chile. Through trade and travel, maize was brought to and eventually embraced by the Mapuche, who began using it in their own preparations. Chilean choclo is a different variety of maize than that known elsewhere. It originated in Peru and is distinguishable by its very large kernels, which are tougher than North American corn, and its savoury, somewhat nutty flavour.
• Lúcuma: A subtropical fruit of Peruvian Andes origin, native to Peru, lúcuma is grown in southern Ecuador and the northern coast of Chile. The fruit is very nutritious, having high levels of carotene and vitamin B₃. Lúcuma is exported all over the world and is a popular flavour for desserts and ice cream.
• Murta or Murtilla: an endemic shrub native to southern Chile. The Mapuche name is uñi, and Spanish names include Murta and Murtilla (“little myrtle”); it is also sometimes known as “Chilean guava”. It was used by the Mapuche before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is used in the preparation of jams and liquor.
• Potato: Featured heavily in dishes such as cazuela, the potato has two centres of origin, namely the South of Peruvian Andes (Solanum indigenous) and the Chiloé Archipelago (Solanum tuberosum). It is a fundamental product in a wide array of dishes.
• Quinoa: grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds, quinoa originated in the Peruvian Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Varieties of quinoa are grown in Concepción and Temuco.
• Nalca or pangue: The Chilean rhubarb is a plant species native to southern Chile. Its leaves are used in the preparation of curanto and the stems in salad, as fruit or in preserves.
• Avocado: Palta, as it is called in Chile, has been consumed since pre-Hispanic times. Avocado originated in Mexico and Peru. The Chilean variety is called Negra de la Cruz (“La Cruz Black”) after the town of La Cruz in the Valparaíso Region, the main producer; it is also called Prada or Vicencio.
• Aji verde (green chili): One of the most common varieties in Chile; called green chile because it is consumed before its maturation.

Old-world crops

• Artichoke
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Lettuce
• Olives: Although originating in Europe, olives from Azapa in Arica, are considered a variety of their own, typical of the dry northern region, and are widely recognized in Chile.
• Onion
• Quince
• Wheat

Fish and seafood

A characteristic of Chilean cuisine is the variety and quality of fish and seafood, due to the geographic location and extensive coastline. The Humboldt current brings a supply of seafood that gathers along the Pacific coast perpendicular to Chilean waters. These include:

Fish

Seafood

Cuisine of the North

Northern cuisine is strongly influenced by the Andean Aymara, Diaguita and Atacameño cultures, and also by the coastal Chango people. The northern diet is traditionally high in protein. The use of tubers like the apilla or oca and the ulluco is common, though these are practically unknown in central and southern Chilean cuisine. Traditional northern Chilean cuisine also includes the use of camelid meats like llama and alpaca. Dishes like chairo have been prepared for centuries by the Andean cultures, although they are not as common nowadays among the northern Chilean population and are almost unknown in the rest of Chile.

Recipes from the northern regions of Chile

Cuisine of the Central Valley and Coast

The cuisine of the central valley and coast has been influenced by the traditions of the native people and European immigrants, particularly those who arrived during the second half of the nineteenth century, with farm life and agriculture the most important influence. In the past, agriculture was a very important aspect of the economy and the Fundo (ranch, farm) was the centre of everyday life. Country traditions still survive and food is a good example of this.

Dishes from the central regions of Chile

Cuisine from southern Chile

Southern Chilean cuisine has been greatly influenced by Mapuche cuisine and Chilote cuisine. There are two products that have attracted particular attention: the Merkén condiment and the “Kollongka”, Araucana or Mapuche chicken, known by their unusual blue-green eggs. Another great influence on southern Chilean cuisine was immigration from Europe, particularly the German migration of the nineteenth century. Traditional German cakes and desserts have been adopted in much of Chile. As in the rest of Chile, seafood has a very important place in the diet, but due to the thousands of islands that make up the southern region, the ocean has a particular relevance here.

Dishes from southern Chile

Baked goods, desserts and breads

• Brazo de Reina: a classic Swiss Roll, usually filled with strawberry jam, raspberry jam or manjar (Chilean dulce de leche), and topped with chocolate swirls or icing sugar.
• Empanadas de manzana: a baked pastry filled with baked apples and cinnamon.
• Kuchen: the traditional German cake filled with seasonal fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, apricots, plums, peaches, rhubarb, etc.
• Murta con membrillo
• Tortilla de rescoldo
• Mazamorra de manzana
• Sopaipillas: A deep fried dough. There are two versions: one plain, which is made with white flour, animal fat and water, and another in which pureed pumpkin is mixed to the dough. In each version, the dough is formed as disks and then deep fried. It can be eaten sweet, with icing sugar or a sweet caramel sauce, or as a salty snack, topped with a chili sauce or mustard.

Beverages

• Chicha de manzana: A fermented apple cider.
• Chicha de calafate: chicha made with calafate, a berry that only grows in Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia
• Licor de oro
• Muday: an alcoholic beverage made of corn, wheat or piñón, the seed of the Araucaria araucana tree.
• Murtado: Made by preserving Ugni molinae (Murta) inside a bottle with aguardiente for some weeks and then mixing it with syrup.

Other typical Chilean dishes

Easter Island or Rapa Nui cuisine

Easter Island cuisine includes dishes of both Chilean and Polynesian extraction. It includes a much wider array of fish than the mainland cuisine, and some fruits and tubers that are not possible to find in continental Chile.

• Ceviche: Can be made with soy or coconut milk, in contrast to the traditional continental version, and with tuna, mata huira, toremo or kana-kana.
• Po`e: Banana or cassava cake.
• Umu Rapa Nui: The Easter Island version of curanto.

Beverages

Chile's unique combination of geography and climate make it ideal for wine growing. This tradition goes back to the sixteenth century and the arrival Spanish conquistadors, and has grown as an industry in recent decades, making Chile one of the world's biggest wine producers. Wine is not the only traditionally produced and consumed beverage, however: the northern regions produce aguardiente a distill of grape, the favourite liquor of many Chileans, and the southern regions are known for their high quality beers.

Non-alcoholic beverages

Sandwiches and Chilean fast food

Beside the big fast food chains present in almost every country in the world, Chile has its own traditional “fast food”. The traditional empanada can be eaten at September independence day celebrations or as a quick lunch. The Chilean version of the hot dog is more complex than standard North American hotdogs: as well as mustard and ketchup, it can be topped with mashed avocado, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut and home-made mayonnaise. During the cold winter, Sopaipillas are also a popular snack served on the streets.

Starters and salads

Cereals and legumes

Legumes have been important in Chilean cuisine since pre-colonial times, with beans, lentils and chickpeas as part of a traditional diet and generally cooked with rice, fresh sweet corn or even pasta (Porotos con rienda)

Pasta

Pasta is very common in everyday Chilean meals, but is not prepared very differently from in other countries, except for some changes in the name and forms of the pasta itself. Bolognese, white sauce (béchamel), and cream based sauces are the most common.

Tortillas

Empanadas

Empanadas are common in many cultures with different names. In Chile, empanadas can have distinctive fillings and can also be cooked in unusual ways to give them a very distinctive flavour and shape. For this reason, empanada sellers in Chile (whether a restaurant, street stand, market, etc.) always specify if their empanadas are fried or baked.

Breads

Chileans are one of the biggest bread eaters in the world; second after the Germans, in fact. Chileans eat bread at breakfast, lunch (as a side or appetiser), Las onces or dinner. Bread for “onces” should be as fresh as possible, ideally bought still hot from the local bakery.

Chilean breads Hallulla and Marraqueta

Salsas (sauces)

• Pebre
• Chancho en piedra
• Salsa verde: Parsley, onion, lemon juice and white vinegar, finely chopped or blended
• Salsa americana: Puréed gherkins, pickled onions, and pickled carrots

Meat dishes

Meat is very important in Chilean cuisine and for many Chileans it is essential ingredient in every dinner or lunch. According to studies, Chilean per capita meat consumption (including poultry, beef and pork) has doubled in the last two decades while seafood consumption has decreased.

• Cazuela: This soup/stew can contain poultry, beef, pork lamb or goat.
• Asado: Barbecues can also contain poultry, beef, pork lamb or goat.
• Carne al disco or asado al disco: meat prepared in a disc over a bonfire.

Poultry dishes

Chicken is the most common of the poultry meats and is an ingredient in traditional dishes like Asado, Pastel de choclo and Cazuela. Although in recent years turkey has become popular, it is not quite a tradition. Duck is rarely consumed in the centre and northern regions, but can be popular in southern countryside.

• Pollo arvejado: Chicken and pea casserole.
• Pollo al Cognac: Chicken stew slowly cooked with plenty of cognac and white wine.

Beef dishes

Although imported beef is available from other Latin American countries, Chileans prefer locally produced beef. Chilean cattle is fed with mineral-rich prairie grass and produced generally in small herds in small farms instead of being mass-produced and fattened on corn, as in some other countries. This produces leaner beef, but since it is the fat within the muscle tissue that makes beef tender, it also makes it tougher beef. Along with the previously mentioned asado, cazuela and empanadas, other Chilean beef dishes include:

Pork dishes

Lamb and goat dishes

This rich meat is not commonly eaten in much of Chile but it is very popular in Patagonia among both local people and tourists.

• Cordero al palo: Another characteristic dish of the southern regions - a lamb roasted on a stake over a bonfire. In the northern regions, similar dishes are prepared but with young goats, called cabritos.

Rabbit dishes

• Conejo escabechado is probably the most popular rabbit dish. The rabbit is cooked in a casserole with oil, vinegar, onions and garlic.

Rabbit can also be prepared as:

• Conejo al horno: Roasted
• Estofado de conejo: Stewed

Intestinos (offal) dishes

Various stews

Fish and shellfish

Chileans enjoy all kinds of seafood, sometimes prepared raw with lemon, coriander and onions, or just simply in the shell with lemon juice and a glass of white wine. Seafood markets are commonly found in fishing villages.

Fish

• Reineta a la plancha: Grilled reineta
• Caldillo de congrio
• Caldillo de pescado: like caldillo de congrio, but made with any other fish.
• Pescado frito: Deep-fried buttered fish; can be congrio, merluza or others.
• Ceviche
• Corvina al horno: A whole corvina stuffed with cheese, tomatoes and longaniza, baked.
• Smoked salmon
• Jurel: Eaten in salad or as a cheaper substitute for tuna.

Shellfish

Sweets, cakes, and desserts

Two cuchuflíes.

There are many different kinds of cakes in Chile and home baking is a popular alternative to the bakery. These are the most common varieties:

In Chile, most desserts and sweets include dulce de leche, which is referred to as manjar

See also

In Spanish: Gastronomía de Chile para niños