Chilean Food

First of all, as on any trip, you must open your mind and your mouth to try different flavors and combinations that you did not expect to try. The gastronomy of Chile is a sample of the mix between indigenous culture and the contribution of Spanish culture. Over the years, it has had a smaller influence on French, Italian, English and German gastronomy. There is a peculiarity in Chilean cuisine, and that is that the preparations vary according to the season of the year.

It is not feasible that in a single article we could put all the gastronomy of Chile since, as you know, it is the longest country in the world, for which it has different climates, plus, countryside, mountain range, desert, among others; And all these variables make Chilean gastronomy very different and varied. We have decided to write about Chilean gastronomy home, those dishes that you will not necessarily find in a restaurant, but that are very typical in the day to day in our homes. April 15 is the national day of Chilean cuisine.



1. Ajiaco

This plate is made, generally with the leftovers of meat from a large roast (the leftovers are the pieces of meat that were not consumed on the day of the roast). The meats are cut into pieces and the sausages too, a broth is prepared to which the meats, chopped onions, potatos chili, potatoes in pieces, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper are added. This tasty soup helps to compose and replenish energy after a hard day or a night out, or to keep celebrating.


2. Carbonada:

The Carbonada is a very traditional winter stew of Chilean gastronomy, it is prepared in a saucepan and we chop an onion to make a sofrito, we add minced garlic, red paprika and minced carrot, finally the minced meat. We add vegetable or water broth, potatoes, squash and seasonings. It is served in a deep plate.


3. Charquicán:

The Charquicán is a traditional Chilean plate, originally it is a Mapuche plate, "Charqui" is the dried horse meat and "Can" in mapudungún means mixture; therefore the charquicán is a mixture with charqui or that was formerly because today it is prepared with beef.

There are different variables of this dish but the traditional thing is that it is a mixture of mashed potatoes with pumkin, different vegetables such as carrots, corn, peas, among others and very small minced meat, all this is mixed with different condiments and served with a fried egg on top.

4. Pollo Arvejado:

This is a noble dish, since chicken is still a relatively accessible product for all kinds of people. In Chile the pea your name is "Arvejas".

This plate is prepared with chicken pieces that are cooked in a pot, with blonde beer (this recipe is from International Students Santiago), at no time do we add water, only beer, add chopped onion, carrots, and peas, in addition to condiments with as cumin, merkén, laurel, salt, peppercorns; it is served accompanied by golden potatoes or rice.

5. Pantrucas:

This is a popular Chilean plate made of flour dough cut into thin strips and with meat cooked in a broth; This plate has a humble origin, which was eaten by low-income families and agricultural workers, who made it without meat.

6. Pichanga:

This low-profile plate, with no intention of entering the great gastronomic circuits, is served before lunch, it is an aperitif to share with friends and that you will only find in "Picadas" (popular restaurants in Chile, where you eat very well. and at low cost generally), it is prepared with cooked meat and cut into cubes, olives, pickles, cheese, tomato, avocado. The idea is to "Picotear" (taste) the pichanga while waiting for the principal plate.

7. Porotos con riendas: 

Although in some cases we share preparations and plates with other Latin American nations, in the case of the Porotos con Riendas, the ingenuity was absolutely Chilean. To the cooking of the beans, corn, pumpkin, basil and pasta (long noodles) are added, when serving, a Chillán sausage is placed.

8. Locos con papas:

The loco is a hard and white mollusk that must be hit to soften it before cooking. Due to the closure that it has experienced during the last ten years, due to its over-exploitation, eating them is almost a serte reserved for diners who look for them carefully, during the times in which the closure is lifted. With a light cooking in water, they are served on a plate, usually accompanied with potatoes with mayonnaise and lettuce salad. They are delicate and soft on the palate.

9. Curanto al hoyo:

This is a typical plate from of Chiloé, its in Mapudungún origin (language of the Mapuche people) speaks of a hot or cooked stone. Precisely, to make this preparation, a hole is made in the ground where a bonfire is lit to heat the stones. Layered, various meats, fish, seafood, potatoes are put on, covering everything with large nalca leaves and sealing the cooking with more hot stones. The recipe is traditional, but there are no exact amounts or ingredients, because as it is a group meal, it depends on the number of people who arrive.

10. Plateada:

It is a Chilean plate, with very tender and tasty meat. It is prepared in a saucepan and marinated with garlic, salt and pepper, Carménère wine (red wine) and a few teaspoons of vinegar. Never add water to it, cook over low heat and with a lot of patience, it is accompanied with a spicy mashed potato (with merkén) and Chilean salad (tomato, onion and coriander). After this succulent meal it is impossible to refuse a little sleep.

11. Chancho en Piedra: 

Originally from the Maule Region, the crushed tomato, onion, garlic, chili pepper are prepared in a mortar (a stone) and then mixed with oil and salt; This plate is generally eaten with kneaded bread, or sopaipillas.

12. Humitas:

The Humita is one of the oldest Chilean plates, although there are similar ones in Colombian, Venezuelan, or Mexican cuisine. This plate arises from the abundance of corn in summer, a little ingenuity and a lot of flavor in a natural container, using the same leaf as the cob, to wrap the corn pulp. The Humitas in chili can be made with salt, sugar or merkén (spicy). It is accompanied with a Chilean salad (tomato with onion and coriander) or with a good Chancho en Piedra.

To see the typical alcoholic drinks of Chile read this article Chilean Drinks