Chilean cuisine

Asado Chileno

Paila marina, a shellfish stock containing different kinds of cooked shellfish and fish and spiced with herbs

Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of Spanish cuisine with traditional Chilean ingredients, with later influences from other European cuisines, particularly from Germany, Italy, Croatia, France and the Middle East. The food tradition and recipes in Chile stand out due to the varieties in flavors and colors. The country's long coastline and the Chilean peoples' relationship with the sea adds an immense array of ocean products to the variety of the food in Chile. The country's waters are home to unique species of fish and shellfish such as the Chilean sea bass, loco and picoroco. In addition, many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by wine because Chile is one of the world's largest producers of wine. The country's immense geographical diversity allows for a wide range of crops and fruits to be present in Chilean food.

Variety

Due to the immense variety of products available in Chile's geographical makeup, recipes vary in different regions of the country. There are three distinct zones dealing with Chilean gastronomy.

• Cuisine of the North
• Cuisine of the Central Coast
• Cuisine of the South

All of the varying cuisines have received some contribution from the European and Chilean people living throughout the country. Each one implementing their own customs and host of condiments such as fish, seafood, meats and poultry. Foreign influence has played a prominent role in main dishes while also providing an ample range of desserts and drinks.

The Pacific territory of Easter Island is considered part of Chile, and its own typical cuisine, a mix of Polynesian and southern Chilean flavors, consists mainly of fish and seafood, particularly lobster.

Major crops

Choclo

Throughout Chile and South America you may find fruits and vegetables that have been cultivated for ages. These agricultural products are appreciated and heavily implemented onto several cooking recipes. They have also been exported around the world as important agricultural commodities. Among the most known are the following:

• Olives: Although originating in Europe Azapa olives from Arica, former Peruvian territory, are considered a variety originating in the northern region and are widely recognized in Chile.

• Chirimoya: a fruit native to the subtropical regions of the Andes mountains, it is widely consumed and produced.

• Maize: Recognized in Chile and Peru as choclo, and in English speaking countries as corn. Maize was a staple diet that prospered in three empires Mayas, Aztecs, and the Incas. It was also cultivated in varying systematic methods by the Atacameño. Through trade and travel, Maize brought and eventually embraced by the Mapuche and using it towards their culinary arts. It should be noted that Chilean choclo is a different variety of Maize than is known elsewhere. It originated in Peru and is distinguishable by its very large kernels, which are tougher than American corn and its non-sweet somewhat nutty flavor.

• Lúcuma: A subtropical fruit of Andean origin, native to Peru it has grown well for centuries in southern Ecuador and Chile's northern coast. The fruit is very nutritious, having high levels of carotene and vitamin B₃. The lúcuma is exported all around the world. It is an important flavor for gelatin desserts such as ice cream.

• Ugni molinae: is an endemic shrub native to southern Chile. The Mapuche Native American name is Uñi, and Spanish names include Murta and Murtilla ("little myrtle"); it is also sometimes known as "Chilean guava". It was used among the Mapuche before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is an ingredient used for marmalades and liquor.

• Potato: Featured heavily in dishes such as cazuela, the potato native to the Americas, was widely grown in Chiloe Archipelago. The potato is a fundamental product in a wide array of dishes.

• Quinoa: grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds and originated in the Peruvian Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Certain varieties of Quinoa are harvested in Concepcion, Chile, known as the Catentoa, and the Regalona is abundant in Temuco, Chile.

Seafood

Paila marina, a fish soup. A paila is an earthenware bowl used as a plate in several South American countries.

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 causes a supply of seafood that gathers along the Pacific coast perpendicular to Chilean waters. These include squid, soleidae (sole), albacore, codfish, hake, corvina, salmon, batoidea and tuna. Seafood such as abalone, prawns, clams, crabs, shrimp, oysters, lobsters, percebes, picorocos, and eels are also fished in large amounts.

Congridae or in Chile known as congrio can be deep fried in batter, or seasoned and baked. It may also be made into a stew: this popular dish, called Caldillo de congrio, was praised in an ode by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

Cuisine of the North

Recipes from the northern regions of Chile

Almejas a la Parmesana

Caldillo de Congrio

Appetizers and soup

• Tortilla de mariscos
• Ensalada de papas al salmón
• Machas a la parmesana
• Conchas de camarones
• Camarones con salsa
• Erizos
• Caldillo de Congrio al Vino

Main course

• Picante de conejo
• Plateada con quinua
• Cazuela marina
• Estofado de cordero a la ostra
• Ensalada chilena nortina
• Ensalada de quinua
• Timbal de quinua
• Risotto de quinua y pimientos amarillos

Apéritifs, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks

• Mango sour
• Papaya sour
• Pajarete
• Cola de mono
• Vaina chilena
• Serena Libre
• Ulpo
• Mango con leche

Cuisine of the Central Coast

Recipes from the central regions of Chile

Chilean Humitas are made with masa harina and corn, slowly cooked in cooking oil.

Appetizers and soup

• Sopa de Mariscos (seafood soup)
• Caldillo de Congrio (congridae stew)
• Locos con Mayonesa (abalone with mayonnaise)

Main course

• Pastel de choclo
• Humitas
• Porotos granados
• Pailita de choclo y crema
• Albóndigas al jugo (meatballs in sauce)
• Cazuela de ave
• Empanadas Fritas de queso (fried empanadas filled with cheese)
• Pantrucas
• Porotos con mazamorra
• Charquican
• Jaibas rellenas
• Tomaticán
• Pastel de papa
• Brochetas (a variatión of anticucho)

Baked goods and desserts

• Empolvados
• Pan de Pascua
• Pan Amasado (baked bread)
• Leche Asada

Cuisine of the South

Recipes from the South of Chile

Curanto a la olla.

Milcao de curanto.

Bottle of licor de oro

Appetizers and soup

• Caldillo de Almejas (a clam stew)
• Chupe de Locos
• Sopa de Ostras (oyster soup)
• Pastel de pescado
• Arrollado de chancho

Main course

• Asado de cordero
• Asado al palo
• Caldillo de mariscos (seafood stew)
• Cancato
• Churrasco Chilote
• Cazuela chilota
• Cazuela de vacuno
• Sopa Chilota de pescado seco
• Curanto
• Chapaleles
• Chiporro
• Crudos
• Empanadas de Horno
• Milcaos
• Chochoca al palo
• Pulmay
• Lloco
• Valdiviano

Baked goods and desserts

• Brazo de Reina
• Empanadas de manzana
• Kuchen
• Murta con membrillo
• Tortilla de rescoldo
• Mazamorra de manzana
• Merquén
• Sopapillas

Alcoholic beverages

• Chicha de manzana
• Caliente de chicha
• Chicha de calafate
• Licor de oro
• Muday
• Murtado

Other typical dishes of Chilean cuisine

Alcoholic beverages

• Borgoña - Cold red wine with chopped strawberries.
• Chicha - Sweet fermented wine typically made from apples though sometimes from grapes too. This is typically drunk around the 18th of September for the national day celebrations.
• Chilean Pisco Sour - Popular Chilean cocktail. Pisco, lemon juice and sugar, one egg white - Shaken together.
• Cola de mono (Monkey's tail) - Aguardiente liquor with milk, cinnamon, coffee and sugar. Typical drink around Christmas time.
• Fanschop - A glass half filled with tap beer and the other half with Fanta.
• Jote - Red wine with Coke.
• Melon con Vino - Melon Tuna (a type of melon) with the top cut off and the seeds taken out with white wine poured inside of it.
• Navegado - Heated red wine with slices of orange and sugar.
• Pipeño or Vino pipeño - A type of sweet fermented Wine.
• Piscola - Pisco with Coke and ice.
• Ponche a la Romana - Champagne with pineapple ice cream. Typically served on New Year's Eve.
• Terremoto (Earthquake) - Pipeño with pineapple ice cream served in a one-liter glass. The next round usually contains the same drink though only in a glass that holds half a liter. This is called a Replica (Aftershock).
• Vaina - Sweet cocktail drink. Port wine and sugar - Shaken together and after serving, sprinkled with cinnamon.

Non-alcoholic beverages

• Leche con Plátano - Fresh milk blended with banana and ice.
• Mote con huesillo - Cooked dried peaches and fresh cooked husked wheat served as a drink.

Crudos

Sandwiches

• Barros Jarpa - Grilled cheese and ham on white bun. Named after Chilean Minister Ernesto Barros Jarpa.
• Barros Luco - Grilled cheese and meat on white bread. Named after the Chilean President Ramón Barros Luco (President 1910–1915).
• Churrasco Italiano - Beef sandwich with tomato, avocado and mayonnaise.
• Choripán
• Completo Italiano - Hot dog with tomato, avocado and mayonnaise.
• Crudos
• Piñera Sandwich - Salmon, arugula (rocket) and cream cheese. This sandwich is named after the current President of Chile Sebastián Piñera.

Appetizers

Tomates rellenos

Palta Reina

• Palta reina
• Tomates rellenos con atún
• Salpicón
• Tomates a la cebolla
• Tortilla de porotos verdes
• Alcachofas Primavera
• Aspic de tomates
• Coctel de camarones
• Enrollados de jamón
• Jamón primavera
• Mousse de ave

Cereals (grains) and legumes (dried fruit)

• Porotos con riendas
• Porotos con mote
• Porotos granados con mazamorra
• Porotos granados con pilco
• Lentejas de la Abuela
• Budín de maíz
• Corona de Arroz con cholgas
• Garbanzos picantes
• Mote a la crema
• Pastel de arroz
• Choritos con arroz
• Arroz graneado
• Arroz primavera
• Arroz con huevo
• Arroz con alverjitas
• Lentejas con arroz

Mushroom dishes

• Callampas al gratin
• Callampas con crema
• Guiso de champiñones
• Callampas con salsa de tomates y carne

Salads and vegetables

Ensalada chilena

• Ensalada de papas picantes
• Flan de espinacas o acelga
• Flancitos de coliflor con salsa
• Fritos de porotos verdes
• Torta de cebolla gratinada
• Ensalada chilena
• Ensalada de arverjitas con jamón
• Ensalada de colores
• Ensalada de papas
• Ensalada de pencas
• Ensalada de pimientos
• Ensalada de zanahorias
• Ensalada de pollo amoldado
• Ensalada de pepinos
• Ensalada de habas
• Ensalada de pencas
• Ensalada de apio
• Berenjenas a la parmesana
• Budín de acelgas
• Coliflor al gratín
• Budín de zanahorias
• Chupe de tomates
• Fricasé de verduras
• Panqueques verdes
• Papas con ají
• Papas con rellenas
• Pastel de acelgas
• Tartaleta de verduras
• Zapallitos con pimentón
• Zapallitos rellenos

Eggs

• Callampitas de huevo
• Huevos a la copa
• Huevos a la jardinera
• Huevos a la ligera
• Huevos a la tripa
• Hevos con callampas
• Huevos con salsa de alcachofas
• Huevos gratinados
• Huevos primavera
• Huevos rellenos
• Huevos revueltos con salsa de tomates
• Huevos revueltos
• Revoltijo de tomates
• Pailita de huevo con salsa de tomate

Tortillas

• Croquetas de pescado
• Panqueques
• Panqueques con espinacas
• Picarones
• Sopaipilla de Zapallo
• Soufflé de queso
• Torta de panqueques
• Tortilla de arvejas
• Tortilla de cebollas
• Tortilla de erizos
• Tortilla de jamón
• Tortilla de salchichas
• Tortilla mixta
• Tostadas de cebolla

Caldos, custards and soups

Ajiaco.

Consomé.

Carbonada de verduras.

• Ajiaco
• Albóndigas de cordero
• Caldillo de congrio
• Caldillo de pescado
• Caldillo de Merluza al vino
• Caldo de gallo
• Carbonada
• Cazuela de cordero
• Cazuela de pava con chuchoca
• Cazuela de chancho
• Caldo de huesos
• Consome de ave
• Consome de perejil
• Sopa de garbanzos
• Sopa de cebolla
• Sopa de lentejas
• Sopa de pan
• Crema de espárragos (creme of asparagus)
• Crema de verduras
• Crema de garbanzos
• Puchero
• Puchero Criollo

Empanadas

Empanadas de horno chilenas

• Empanadas de horno
• Empanadas de machas
• Empanadas fritas
• Empanadas de queso
• Pequenes

Breads

Marraqueta.

Pan con chicharrón.

• Marraqueta
• Pan de campo
• Pan amasado
• Hallulla
• Pan de huevo
• Pan con chicharrones
• Tortilla de rescoldo

Tallarines (pastas)

• Canelones con camarones
• Coditos con cebolla
• Coditos con nueces
• Tallarines con berenjenas
• Tallarines vegetarianos
• Tallarines al pesto
• Tallarines al salmón
• Tallarines con atún
• Tallarines con pollo
• Tallarines sureños

Salsas (sauces)

Pebre.

• Pebre
• Chancho en piedra
• Crema de queso para rellenar
• Pebre de cilantro con tomates
• Pebre de ají cacho de cabra
• Pebre sureño
• Pebre de camote
• Pebre de cebolla con cilantro
• Salsa blanca
• Salsa chilena
• Salsa de los Alpes
• Salsa de mantequilla a las verduras
• Salsa de paltas
• Salsa para tallarines
• Salsa picante

Poultry dishes

• Pollo arvejado
• Pollo borracho
• Pavo de harina
• Pollo asado con vino blanco y albahaca
• Chuño-puti con ave
• Gallina en escabeche
• Ganso relleno
• Pato a la naranja
• Pato relleno
• Pavo relleno
• Picante de gallina
• Pollo asado
• Pollo a la cacerola
• Pollo al coñac
• Pollo al vino
• Pollo estofado
• Pollo guisado
• Pollo primavera
• Tórtola al Jerez
• Pollo ganso mechado
• Pollo al barro

Meat dishes

Bistec a lo pobre.

• Asado: includes Cerdo(pork) and Ave(poultry)
• Niños envueltos
• Crudos: similar to (Steak Tartare)
• Bistec a lo pobre
• Tapapecho a la cacerola
• Carnes al Disco con Mariscos
• Chorrillana (variation)
• Budín de 2 carnes
• Bifes a la cacerola
• Bifes a la criolla
• Bifes al sartén
• Bifes hamburgueses
• Cacerola al vino
• Carne con salsa pimienta
• Carne mechada
• Chanfaina
• Chuleta asada a la parrilla
• Chuletón a la parrilla con berros
• Estofado de vacuno
• Filete al Jerez
• Filete al vino blanco
• Medallones de filete
• Tapabarriga de ternera rellena

Pork dishes

• Costillar de chancho
• Arrollado de chancho
• Queso de cabeza
• Longaniza
• Arrollado arriero
• Rollo de cerdo picante
• Arrollado de guatitas
• Arrollado de malaya
• Chancho adobado
• Costillar con papas (ribs and potatoes)
• Chuletas rebozadas
• Estofado de chancho (pork stew)
• Malaya a la chilena
• Patas de chancho rebozadas

Lamb dishes

• Cordero en salsa
• Caritún
• Chuletas de cordero primavera
• Arvejado de Cordero
• Cordero Guisado
• Cacerola campesina
• Cordero al chilindrón
• Cordero al horno
• Cordero arverjado
• Corderito relleno
• Chuletas asadas
• Pulpa de cordero a la mantequilla
• Patitas con ají
• Papas Fritas con Payumba

Conejo (rabbit) dishes

• Conejo al horno
• Conejo al orégano
• Conejo a la valdiviana
• Estofado de conejo

Intestinos (offal) dishes

• Cocimientos de criadillas
• Guatitas al vino blanco
• Lengua con salsa tártara
• Panitas en salsa de mostaza
• Picante de guatitas
• Riñones al Jerez (wine)
• Salchichas de cerdo envueltas
• Seso a la mantequilla
• Sesos imperiales
• Guatitas a la jardinera

Various stews

• Tortilla de tallarines
• Guiso de Lentejas con zapallo and romero
• Guiso de Fausto
• Guiso de acelga con huevo
• Guiso de guatitas
• Charquicán (variación)
• Charquicán de cochayuyo

Fish

• Jurel en salsa de tomate y pimentones
• Pescado a la parrilla
• Tollo en salsa de erizos
• Pejerrey relleno
• Pescado Rebozado
• Congrio a lo Pobre
• Lenguado a la plancha
• Chupín de Congrio
• Congrio a la plancha
• Pescado a la teja

Raw seafood platters

• Almejas al matico
• Camarón de mar
• Camarón de río
• Cangrejo o Jaiba
• Centolla
• Cholgas al Alicate
• Choritos(mussels) en salsa verde
• Choros zapato (mussels)
• Gambas
• Langostas de Juan Fernández (lobsters from Juan Fernández Islands)
• Langostino
• Machas
• Ostras
• Ostión (vieira) (scallops)
• Pibres
• Picorocos

Prepared seafood dishes

• Choritos al vapor
• Chupe de mariscos
• Consomé de locos
• Locos Chilean abalone
• Mariscal
• Mariscal caliente
• Pastel de jaibas

See also

• Chilean wine
• Culture of Chile
• Pisco

External links

• Asociación Chilena de Gastronomía Association for Chilean Gastronomy (in Spanish)