Milcao facts for kids
Milcaos fritos
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| Alternative names | Melcao, Milcado |
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| Course | Main course, side dish |
| Place of origin | Chile |
| Region or state | Chiloé Archipelago |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Potatoes of Chiloé, lard, salt and vegetable oil. |
| Variations | Baemes |
Milcao or Melcao is a yummy traditional dish from the Chiloé Archipelago in Chile. It's a type of potato pancake. It's made by mixing raw grated potatoes with cooked mashed potatoes and other ingredients.
Milcao is a very important part of special Chiloé meals like curanto and reitimiento. People in Chiloé even sing songs and tell riddles about it! This dish became popular in southern Chile and Argentina. Many families from Chiloé moved to Patagonia in the late 1800s and early 1900s, taking their recipes with them.
Contents
How to Make Milcao
The most important ingredient for milcao is Chilotan potatoes. There are many different kinds of these potatoes! Half of the potatoes are cooked and mashed. The other half are grated. Sometimes, people use a special tool made from a volcanic pumice stone to grate them.
There are two main ways to prepare the grated potatoes:
Strained Milcaos
This is the most common way. The grated potatoes are squeezed to remove most of their water. People might use a dishcloth, a sieve, or press them against a hard surface. This method makes milcaos colados, which means "strained milcaos."
The juice from the squeezed potatoes is saved. It settles, and the starchy part at the bottom is called chuño. This chuño can be used later to make a different type of milcao called milcao de chuño.
Grated Milcaos
In this method, the grated potato is mixed directly into the mashed potatoes. This makes milcaos rallados, meaning "grated milcaos."
Making the Dough
Once the potatoes are ready, they are mixed with the cooked potatoes. Then, seasoning and lard are added. This mixture is kneaded to form a dough. The dough is then shaped by hand into flat, round pancakes.
You can cook these pancakes in different ways:
- Bake them in an oven.
- Fry them in oil.
- Traditionally, they are baked and eaten with a curanto meal.
Different Kinds of Milcao
Most milcaos are savory. This means they taste salty and rich. Often, chicharron (small pieces of fried pork meat and fat) are added before cooking. But there are also some sweet or plain versions.
- Milcao al horno o frito (oven-baked or fried milcaos): These are the most common. They can have chicharron mixed into the dough. Or, the chicharron can be stuffed inside, like a pie. They have a reddish-brown crust and a pale center.
- Milcaos de curanto (curanto milcaos): This is the traditional way in Chiloé. The pancakes are steamed in the top layer of a curanto. They are placed on hazel and nalca branches. When cooked this way, they get a dark crust. They also get a special flavor from the leaves. This method is less common because making a curanto is a big job!
- Milcados pelados (peeled milcaos) or Baemes: These milcaos are boiled. They are often eaten sweetened with honey or sugar.
- Milcaos chuño (potato starch milcaos): Instead of fresh grated potatoes, dried potato starch (chuño) from earlier preparations is used. These are usually fried. They have a golden crust and a pale center. If they are boiled, they can also be eaten sweet, just like milcaos pelados.
What You Need to Make Milcao
- Potatoes or Chilote potatoes
- Lard
- Salt
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
- Chicharron (optional, for savory versions)
Images for kids
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Milcaos fritos
See also
- In Spanish: Milcao para niños
