Chile

Chilean food comes from the combination of traditional Spanish cuisine, Chilean native culture and local ingredients, with later influences from other European countries. The food tradition and recipes in Chile are notable for the variety of flavors and ingredients, with the country’s diverse geography and climate hosting a wide range of agricultural produce, fruits and vegetables.

Being such a long country stretched over a variety of landscapes, Chile has a vast range of food and drink. One of the highlights of Chilean Cuisine is its diversity of seafood due to its large coastline. Another thing not to be missed while in Chile is its high quality red wine.

Chilean food should not be confused with the spicy dishes common in Mexico. Unlike Mexican meals, the hot chili is not too frequent in Chile.

Chilean food is not widely known outside of the country itself, unlike the more widely marketed Argentine or Peruvian cuisines. Taking advantage of a huge variety of local, seasonal ingredients, Chilean food incorporates influences from Spanish, German, Italian, French and even Middle Eastern cooking. It is often prepared simply and honestly, allowing the flavors of the fresh vegetables and world-class seafood to do the talking without unnecessary distractions.

In Chile, lunch is served between 1 and 3pm, and it is considered the main meal of the day and taken very seriously.  Dinner is typically very late with families eating dinner around 9:30 or 10pm.

What beef is to Argentina, seafood is to Chile, and Chileans eat it all, from sole to sea urchin to conger eel. Most Chileans dine on seafood in restaurants but rarely at home. Chile’s seafood is superlative, as you might expect from a country with over 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of coastline. One of the best ways to sample a bit of everything the Pacific Ocean has to offer is with a Paila Marina, or mixed seafood broth.

 Lamb is hard to come by in many areas of central and northern Chile, with beef and pork being far more popular choices. But in the southlands of Patagonia, lamb is king. The meat from Patagonian lambs has a well-earned global reputation for being healthy, lean, firm and packed with flavor.

Chileans often order dessert after lunch and then again after dinner, even if it's just chopped fresh fruit or fruit from a can.

This introduction has been sourced from the following sites: Please visit them for more information.

 

Cascada Tours (Recommended)

Wikipedia