Interesting Facts About Chilean Food
With its scenic locales and breathtaking beaches, Chile is also famous for another thing - its delectable cuisine. Influenced with European cuisines, the food in Chile is an alluring blend of spices, meat and other ingredients. Since this is a coastal country, seafood is consumed in abundance. The traditional Chilean food is the pastel de choclo, which is a kind of pie that is made with chicken (or beef), corn and a variety of vegetables. Since food holds a special place in the Chilean culture, it is made with precise details and is also enjoyed in the same way.
Chilean Food History
The recipes in the Chilean cuisine have a rich history and are influenced by different food cultures. The settlers from different countries brought with them their own ingredients and methods of cooking, which came to stay in Chile and has been followed since then. The immigrants also revamped their traditional recipes using the spices and ingredients and created the cuisine that is now known as the Chilean cuisine. Foods have been influenced by different cultures, namely Arab, British, Indian, Italian and Spanish. It were the Spaniards who introduced the use of beef, chicken, garlic, onions, pork and rice dishes in Chilean cooking.
Information about Chilean Food
The typical Chilean cuisine is just a combination of simple flavors, without much ado. However, being influenced by native Indian and European cuisine, Chilean cuisine is a fantastic blend of different spices and flavors.
- The people of Chile cook a variety of foods that include beef, fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry and seafood. Influenced by the Spanish settlers, these dishes are cooked combining the local Chilean spices and make it a mouth-watering recipe.
- The Chilean people usually have four meals on any given day. The breakfast is usually light and which includes bread toasted with butter and coffee with milk. The lunch, which lasts for about one and a half hour, is the heaviest meal of the day and is a two course affair. A beef or chicken preparation teamed with salad is usually eaten for lunch. A healthy serving of vegetables is also
- The Chileans also have a tea break, known as 'Once', usually late in the afternoon, a tradition adopted from the British. Bread and jam, with cheeses and avocados (palta) are eaten during this break. The dinner, which is eaten at around 9 at night has only a single course. It normally consists of a salad or the ensalada chilena which is prepared with chopped onions and tomatoes, vinegar or oil dressing and minced cilantro.
- The typical Chilean foods include humitas, meat preparations, salads, desserts, etc. Bife lo pobre, Cazuela de ave, Empanada, Humitas, Parrillada are some of the dishes eaten nationwide. Rice dishes are Also prepared in Chile and usually follow the Spanish way of cooking.
- The long coast of Chile makes it a hotspot for seafood, with a wide variety of fish, crustaceans and shellfish. The seafood which comes from Chile is considered to be the world's finest varieties and the traditional food usually is plates of seafood specialities. Sea bass recipes that are made in different styles is one of the popular foods that is enjoyed by the locals and tourists.
- Chilean food is considered to be incomplete without wine. This drink is an integral part of every lunch and dinner and the people consume it just as water. The wines brewed in Chile have an international repute, owing to their distinct flavor. The traditional drink of Chile however, is pisco, also called 'pisco sour', which is drink concocted from lemon juice, sugar and egg white.
- The national dish of Chile is porotos granados, which is a stew made by combining native Indian ingredients with Spanish influences. The basic ingredients of this dish are pumpkin, cranberry beans, corn and tomatoes.
- Another Chilean dish that is traditionally eaten around Christmas is pan de pascua. Brought down by German settlers, this Christmas stollen (also known as fruitcake) is a rich, dense spice cake, that is flavored with rum (or pisco) and filled with dried fruits and nuts.
