Chilean Cuisine

Meals constitute one of the biggest culture shocks I received during my first week in Chile. When North Americans consider the South American diet, tacos and burritos are usually among the first dishes that come to mind. Not so in Chile! These items are more typical of Mexican cuisine, and as the U.S. is so close in proximity to Mexico, we tend to associate their dietary preferences with all of Latin America. In fact, Mexican and Peruvian restaurants are fairly common and popular in many areas of Santiago.

Among the most important of Chilean foods is the avocado. Everything here is served with avocado, from bread to hot dogs! There are even avocado dispensers that accompany mustard and ketchup dispensers at hot dog stands. In addition, salt takes on a greater role here than in the U.S., whereas pepper is almost completely discarded. I have now been here for two weeks, and not once have I spied a pepper dispenser in any restaurant or food stand. Sometimes there are even two salt dispensers on a table, just in case the first one runs out.

I also knew before I arrived that fruit would be extra-cheap in South America, but I was still surprised to see the prices. When I met my host mother for the first time, she took me to a feria (a fruit/vegetable market) to buy the family's fruit 'n' veggie stash for the week. A kilo of apples (1 kilo = about 2 lbs) can be bought for 1,000 pesos, or around $2.00 in U.S. currency! There was also a variety of fruit which was completely foreign to me: something that resembled a pear, another something that looked like a pumpkin, and something similar to a watermelon were the most striking.

If Americans would be impressed by the cheap cost of fruit here, they would be horrified by the lack of brewed coffee or fresh milk. Every cup I’ve had of each has come from a box of powder. I had just assumed that all South American countries sold great coffee, but that is sadly not the case. Tea is much more popular, so I’ve simply replaced coffee with tea for my daily caffeine intake. Milk seems to be a lost cause, though—there’s just no replacing a fresh gallon of milk from the local grocery store.

Salads are mostly served with fresh lemon juice as dressing. Lemon is another Chilean phenomenon—bread is sometimes served at restaurants along with a plate of sliced lemons for water, salad, seafood dishes, etc. Seafood is extremely popular and cheap, considering the fact that Chile boasts the longest coastline in the world.

The dish above is lomo a lo pobre, a popular item on the menu here that consists of two eggs (usually fried) served on top of a steak with french fries on the side.  It can be served as any meal of the day.  

Finally, as for meals themselves, the Chilean structure is somewhat distinct from that of the U.S. Breakfasts are typically continental and consist of jam and bread and instant coffee or tea. Lunch is served a bit later here, usually around 1:00 or 2:00 pm. Once, or the Spanish equivalent for the number 11, many times replaces dinner and can be served at almost any time of the day. As once is always consumed after lunch but sometimes before dinner (if it doesn’t replace dinner altogether), it usually occurs between 4:00 and 8:00 pm. If there is a dinner served afterward (more common on weekends), it usually takes place after 9:00 pm.