What is Chilean cuisine?

Chilean cuisine is a mixture of Native South American and Spanish foods. 

Chilena cuisine is the result of the combination of the native indigenous people, most notably the Mapuche along with contributions from the Spaniards, and German influence from the 19th-century settlement of southern Chile, which is commonly known as La Patagonia.

When Pedro de Valdivia and his fellow conquerors arrived in the 16th century, they brought wheat, pork, chicken, beef, and sheep. The Mapuche contributed potato, piñones (similar to a pine-nut), seaweed, corn, pumpkin, Merken, beans, and this mixture gave rise to the dishes that are now typical in Chile.

is chile’s food spicy?

Is Chilean food spicy?

No. Chilean food is not spicy. Merkén is a traditional Chilean seasoning created by the indigenous Mapuche people. Goat horn pepper (Aji cacho de cabra) is dried, smoked, and then ground along with salt, toasted coriander, and cumin or oregano. Merken has a mild spice to it and is the spiciest consumable of Chile and is the lone exception for Chilean spiciness.

• If your curious what Merquén (alternate spelling) tastes like, it’s best compared to hotter varieties of paprika.

traditional foods of chile

Empanada de pino

According to a 2015 study, Empanada de Pino is the dish that Chileans consider the most representative of their culture. 

Empanadas have been eaten in Spanish cuisine since the 13-century and this dish was brought over from the Spanish colonists. During the 17th-century, European wheat flour began to replace native corn flour. The filling was a native creation, a mix of onion, finely chopped beef and other ingredients such as black olives, hard-boiled egg, and raisins. This filling was called Pinu or Pirru, and that word has morphed into the now familiar ‘Pino’, or Empanada de Pino. 

Patagonian Empanadas are filled with lamb (Empanada de Cordero) or king crab (Empanada de Centolla) and are either baked or fried. 

pastel de choclo

This dish has a corn cover and a filling made of beef, chicken, and egg. Pastel de Choclo was a festive dish that was eaten for great occasions and not an everyday meal.

Pastel de Choclo loosely translates to English as ‘corn pie’ and is similar to shepherds pie with a creamed-corn twist.

Chacarero (Chilean Steak sandwich)

Chacarero is a unique sandwich made with thinly sliced beef or pork, tomato, and green beans. In 2015, Time Magazine placed this on The 13 Most Amazing Sandwiches the World Has to Offer list.

Churrasco is the Spanish/Portuguese word for grilled beef (meat) and is referencing the preparation process of grilling meat.

After the steak has been grilled it is cut up into thin strips and served on a buttered bread called Marraqueta, which is a long(ish) fermented wheat bread. Green beans must remain crip and green and are usually immersed in a bowl of ice water after cooking. When thinking of green beans, think of the crisp and refreshing flavor that cucumbers add to sandwiches.

Lastly, tomato is added and the Chacarero is ready to be served.

• This sandwich was traditionally served without ketchup or mayo, but as most things that originate in Chile, you can find them being served italiano (with mayo, tomato, and avocado).

In Chile, you will find many food variations with the world italiano or italian. This is referencing the triple-colored topping combo of tomato, palta (avocado) and mayonnaise.

This triple-colored topping

• Red = Tomato

• Green = Avocado

• White = Mayonnaise (mayo)

The red, green, and white resembles the Italian flag, and has NO relation with Italian cuisine.

Completo

Very few things seem more Chilean to outsiders than the Completo.  

Completo is Spanish for complete, and this is basically a hot dog loaded with ALL the toppings. 

The Completo originated in Santiago in the 1920s when the hotdog first started being imported from the United States. 

This Chilean hotdog is offered everywhere in Chile, and you can buy one from a street vendor for under $2 or you can try a gourmet version and experience Completo Artesanal. Common toppings include sauerkraut, diced tomatoes, mashed avocado…….expect lots of mayo. 

Cazuela

Cazuela is is a stew that combines bunches of fresh local ingredients, such as:

• Corn

• Pumpkin

• Potato

• Green beans

• With a piece of meat (usually beef or chicken)

The name Cazuela takes its name from the pot that it’s cooked in.

porotos granados

Porotos means beans in Chilean Spanish and this dish is cranberry beans with squash and corn. 

Porotos Granados is a Chilean countryside stew that is traditionally served in summer, as is made by combing the beans with fresh seasonal ingredients, such as onions, garlic, and squash. Freshly picked corn, pumpkin, and tomatoes accompany the dish.  

The minimalist version of this dish is beans and corn that is then thickened by the addition of pumpkin.

Interesting note: Chilean poet Pablo de Rokha wrote a poem called Rotología del Poroto. This poem is about the meanings that foods acquire, specifically the bean or Poroto. 

Charquicán

This is a mashed mixture of potato, corn, peas, pumpkin, onions, green beans, spices/herbs, and sun-dried meat (jerky) known as Charqui.

Traditionally, horse meat was used but has since been replaced with dried beef. Some families use llama jerky and the dish is always topped with a fried egg.

Ceviche

Ceviche is any mixture of fish or shellfish that is “cooked” by the acid of a citrus marinade and typically enhanced with chili, olives, and cilantro.  

Ceviche is a traditional dish of the Native Lafkenche people (seafaring people) of Chile, and it’s believed they first marinated the fish in Chica, a low alcohol corn beer. 

Chilean Patagonian Ceviche: Southern Patagonia Ceviche features king crab, prawns, and salmon, citrus and a pinch of tasty Merken. 

Humitas 

Humitas are the equivalent of a corn tamale and are always wrapped in corn leaves. This is a very popular summer food since it’s made fresh when sweet corn (Choclo) is ripe and ready to be harvested. 

Las Humitas is a native dish, that was traditionally made without meat. However, in present-day Chile, this corn-mash tamale can be filled with cheese, meat, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, or whatever else the chef likes. 

Interesting note: Humita is a direct translation to “bow-tie,” which is how the food looks once ready to eat. 

sopaipillas

Sopaipillas are made with fresh zapallo, a South American version of the pumpkin. The pumpkin dough is shaped into small circles or discs and then deep-fried in hot oil.

These deep-fried pumpkin dough discs are served with:

• Avocado

• Pebre

• Sweet chancaca sauce ( molasses-like syrup made from brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and orange zest)

  • Sopaipillas served with chancaca sauce are called sopaipillas pasadas

Sopaipillas in Chile are traditionally served in winter months.

Chile, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, southwestern United States, and southern Spain all claim sopaipilla were their own invention.

Ultimately, "sopaipilla" is a name that refers to a set of foods, whose common feature is that it’s made with dough and is fried in oil or butter.

• The origin of the word comes from the Mozarabic "soupipa," which meant "fried dough.”

• Sopaipila in Spanish translates as “pillow” as the dough takes a puffed shape after being fried.

chilean bbq (asado)

Argentina is world-renowned for beef and their ‘Asados’ yet, at the time of the Spanish invasion of South America, the continent didn’t have any lines of delimitation. When Columbus brought over the first cattle species to Argentina, some of those pasture lands where located in present-day Chile. The fame and popularity of Argentinian cattle-lands are well deserved. However, Chilean beef and their Asados are underrated and under-appreciated by the unacquainted.

patagonia and grazing lands

The vast majority of Patagonian grazing lands are in the Argentinian Patagonia. This region is located in the semi-arid steppes of the Andean foothills that are a largely treeless area of grasslands and shrubs.

The Argentina Patagonia mesa landscape is intersected by a series of rivers that flow from the Andes to the Atlantic, creating a perfect agricultural oasis through irrigated floodplains. As of 2018, Argentina has the 5th largest cattle inventory of any country and accounts for roughly 5 percent of all cows on the planet.

According to the Chilean government’s website, “Chilean beef comes from animals born and raised in the protected environment of Chile, in the tranquillity of natural grazing land with good-quality grass and crystal-clear water and optimum health.”

The majority of Chilean cattle is comprised of small farms (average herd size 41 cows), with over 120,000 cattle ranches where free-ranging cattle is the norm. Chile doesn’t produce enough beef to be an exporter but instead keeps its beef for domestic consumption. Chilean cattle are free-ranging and great tasting. Chilean beef accounts for less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the world's total cattle inventory.

Why isn’t Chilean beef world-renowned like Argentinian or Brazilian? Nearly 30 percent of the cattle inventory is from Brazil and Argentina and can be eaten around the world. To eat Chilean beef, you must be in Chile

Unsure where and what Patagonia is? Check out our Where/What is Patagonia article.

chilean patagonia & sheep

While the Argentina Patagonian has grazing cattle, the Chilean Patagonia if filled with free-ranging sheep. Almost all of the sheep raised for wool and lamb in Chile are in the southernmost reaches of Patagonia.

Interesting fact: The largest outdoor lamb BBQ in the world takes place in Licán Ray, Chile, which is located in the Chilean Lake District (northern Patagonia) and takes place on the second weekend of January. 

Cordero al Palo (Spit Roast Lamb)

This is Patagonia’s most famous dish, regardless of what side of the border you’re on. Cordero al Palo is also called Asado al Palo, and the name is referencing the method of preparation.

The rough translation to English is lamb to the stick or lamb to the post. This traditional lamb specialty involves roasting a whole lamb on an iron spit, where the lamb is slowly cooked for a half-day or more, over a wood fire.

This classic cooking method allows the lamb to be basting in its own juices and fat while an additional mixture of warm water, salt, and garlic are applied. The end result is the most succulent and tender meat you have ever eaten, all surrounded by crispy skin and priceless views.

Carne Asada

Carne = meat & Asada means barbecue…….Carne Asada means BBQed meat and can be any meat. Carne Asadas are very common in Chile and this can be any combination of beef, lamb, ribs, pork, and/or sausage. More specifically, carne asade refers to the art of grilling and consuming meat.

Pebre is Chile’s most popular condiment

• PEBRE is a Chilean condiment that Chileans put on top of everything.  

• Cilantro

• Chopped onion

• Olive oil

• Chopped tomatoes

• Garlic

• Aji pepper paste

These are the core ingredients, with every family and restaurant having their own secret version that varies slightly.

Guanaco steak or stew

Guanacos are camelids native to South America and are in the same family as the llama and alpaca. Guanacos are very populous in Patagonia since they only have one predator, the puma.

As a result, the Chilean government allows for controlled hunting for human consumption and guanaco population management.  

Guanaco meat is lean with a unique-gamey flavor and is usually found in stews braised in a red wine sauce, accompanied by mashed potatoes and pumpkin. 

It should be noted that most Chileans don’t eat guanaco meat (in recent times), and the majority of guanaco meat is exported to Europe. If you find guanaco on a menu, chances are you’re at a restaurante turistico or non-local restaurant.

Interesting guanaco fact: The guanaco is double-coated, just like the alpaca and is comparable to cashmere in softness.

foods of Chile’s patagonia

Chupe de Centolla (King Crab casserole)

Chupe de Centolla is a yummy Chilean seafood stew made from Patagonian king crab. This is a thick and creamy dish, similar to a chowder. The seafood is cooked in a stew with cream, milk, butter, seasonings, along with breadcrumbs and is topped with grated Parmesan cheese. A must-try for anyone who wants to experience crab-cake turned into a casserole.

Centolla is Spanish for king crab. Chupe is an informal word in South America for stew. The rough translation of this dish is king crab stew, but would more accurately be called a Southern King Crab casserole.

pastel de jaiba (crab cake)

This dish is the same as Chupe de Centolla, except that the type of crab is different. The difference is that Chupe de Centolla features Southern king crab, whereas Pastel de Jaiba uses different crab species, such as mola rock crab.

Chupe de Centolla is found throughout Patagonia, while Pastel de Jaibe is eaten in the far north section of Patagonia and along the northern length of the Pacific Coast.

curanto

This is cooking at the most basic level.

1. A pit is dug in the ground

2. Fill in with rocks

3. Build a fire on top to heat the rocks

4. After a few hours remove ashes and coals

5. Add meat, veggies, potatoes, & shellfish (many clams)

6. Layers of seaweed or cabbage leaves separate each ingredient

7. Top is covered with giant rhubarb leaves

6000-year-old Curanto pits have been discovered on Chiloé Island, which is located near Valdivia in northern Patagonia. 

The Patagonia has a species of giant rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) that is something out of a Jurassic Park movie, with leaves stretching more than 7 feet wide. This rhubarb leaf is placed on top of the pit, which keeps the steam from escaping. This is a whole day cooking process, and the result is one of the most delicious meals of your entire life. 

This dish goes by the name Curanto, and that refers to the cooking method and process. All Curantos differ with regards to pit size, cooking time, ingredients, and even the leaf (nowadays) at the top sealing in the steam. This cooking method is also known under the name of “stone oven.”

Interesting note: Pulmay is curanto in a dish.

end notes

Chile is almost 2,700 miles long with 5 distinct geographic zones. These zones offer different food and drink choices. There are certain common foods found throughout Chile, which I discussed in the traditional foods of Chile section. There are also regional foods, such as salmon (and all the unique cooking varieties), and king crab of the south. Ceviche is found throughout the country, yet the recipes are significantly different depending on where you are at in Chile.  

Southern Chile was settled primarily by Germans, and the foods, architecture, and beers differ from the rest of Chile. South-central Chile is a mixture of native and Spanish foods. The Santiago metro region eats traditional foods, yet is also at the forefront of creating truly unique Chilean food and drink, such as the Completo and Terremoto (alcoholic cocktail).

Chile doesn’t have the food popularity of other South American countries, such as Peru, Brazil, Columbia, and Argentina. However, Chilean food has it’s own unique style and is a meat and seafood lovers paradise.

Jesse is the Director of Pedal Chile and lives in Chile’s Patagonia (most of the year). Jesse has a Master of Science in Health & Human Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Hobbies: MTBing, snowboarding, meditation, reader of non-fiction, researcher, & compression sock wearer.

More articles from Pedal Chile

• Is Chile the longest country in the world? Read my article and find out!

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