The typical Chilean dishes have as main ingredients meats, wheat and vegetables. The gastronomy of this country shows a combination of Aboriginal and Spanish cuisine, two cultures that came into contact due to the process of colonization and conquest in America.
However, with the passage of time other gastronomic cultures have been added to the existing mix resulting in the current Chilean cuisine.
The phenomenon of migration made Chile come into contact with Italy, Germany, France and certain Arab nations, a relationship that is observed in some Chilean dishes.
For example, the Italians introduced the idea of ice cream in Chile, desserts that prepared with traditional fruits of the American country. The pasta tradition is also an Italian heritage.
The Arabs contributed their love for spices and strong condiments. The influence of German cuisine is mainly observed in desserts such as kuchens and strudels.
List of typical dishes of Chile
The cuisine of Chile is primarily the fusion of indigenous gastronomy and Spanish cuisine.
From the aborigines they take ingredients like the potato and the corn (name that receives the corn). Of the Spaniards they take the wheat and the meats of pork, sheep, chicken and cow.
1- Corn Cake
The corn cake is prepared with tender corn. With the grains of this vegetable is prepared a dough that can be seasoned with herbs and spices (basil, cumin, sweet pepper, among others).
The dough is spread in a heat-resistant vessel and a stew of meat, onion and other ingredients is added. Above the stew, another layer of corn masa is added to close the preparation.
It is baked until the top layer is golden brown. At the time of serving, it can be accompanied with a salad of boiled eggs, tomato, basil and olives.
2- Finger in stone
The pig in stone is prepared with tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, oil and salt. All these ingredients are ground together to form a sauce that can be lightly cooked or eaten fresh.
The pig is ideal to accompany with bread or with cookies, as an aperitif. It is also used as a companion in main dishes, to flavor the meats and vegetables.
3- Sandwiches
In Chile, eating sandwiches represents a tradition. The two best known are called Chilean politicians: Barros Jarpa and Barros Luco.
The first is made of cheese and ham, and was named after an ex-minister. The second is grilled meat and melted cheese, and bears the name of an ex-president.
Other typical sandwiches from Chile are:
-American: meat, ham, fried eggs and cheese.
-Dynamic: sausage, tomatoes, avocado, tomato sauce and basil sauce.
-Braceño: melted cheese and avocado.
-As: fried meat, avocado, tomato and mayonnaise.
4- Curanto in hole
The curanto in pit is one of the typical Chilean dishes that shows the Aboriginal influence in its preparation. The most important ingredients are of marine origin.
The word curanto comes from the Mapundungun language and means"stone heated by the sun", which refers to the way of preparation of this dish.
The curanto is prepared in the open air. Before starting to cook, you must open a hole in the ground, whose bottom is covered with smooth stones (preferably). In this hole, a bonfire is made, so that the stones are heated until they reach bright red.
When this happens, the remains of the fire are removed and you are ready to start cooking. In the hole, place a layer of cabbage leaves and a layer of clams and mussels. On these, chicken, beef and pork are added.
To speed up the process, you can cover the hole with more cabbage leaves. Thus, the steam will cook the meats faster.
5- Seafood soup
Although the Chilean territory has a large coastal area, there are not many dishes that include marine products. One of these is the seafood soup, which is made with hake fillet (a type of white fish), shrimp and other seafood.
Season with onion, garlic and cilantro. Served with wheat bread and fresh parsley leaves.
6- Paila marina
Another dish that has marine products is the marine paila. This is a soup prepared with various seafood: clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, among others. To flavor the broth, you add spices and white wine.
7- Chilean Salad
The Chilean salad is prepared with onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, lemon, oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
The traditional Chilean salad is prepared by cutting the sliced onions and letting them soak in water for an hour.
Mix the onions with the tomatoes and the other ingredients are added to taste. It is served with fresh coriander leaves.
8- Carbonada
The carbonada is a stew that is consumed in winter. This is prepared with beef cut into small pieces, various vegetables (potatoes, squash, beans) and seasoning seasonings (chili, onion, garlic and cilantro).
At the time of serving this soup is added fresh parsley leaves.
9- Empanadas
The empanadas are dishes originating from the Arab nations that were adopted by the Spaniards due to the invasions of the Moors. Thus, this dish arrived to America after the conquest.
Empanadas are common throughout Latin America. However, in Chile the tradition is to prepare the empanadas sundowns, which are made between family or friends.
10- Humitas
Humitas are one of the oldest dishes in Chilean cuisine. These are not exclusive to Chile, but are also found in Peru and Ecuador. These are ripe corn buns that are wrapped in cob leaves and boiled.
The humita salada is filled with meat, tomato, onion, garlic and basil. It is accompanied by a small stone. For its part, sweet humita is prepared with brown sugar.
References
- A Collection of Chilean Recipes. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from thespruce.com
- Chilean cuisine. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Chile Food. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from southamerica.cl
- Chile Food Recipes. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from thelatinkitchen.com
- Food and Cuisine in Chile. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from chileculture.org
- Food in Chile. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from foodbycountry.com
- Traditional Cuisine. Retrieved on October 26, 2017, from chile.travel