If you like clams, razor clams are some of the sweetest you’ll ever have, and one of Chile’s native delicacies. When eating the dish, Chileans traditionally consume all of the liquid first before moving onto the large pieces of meat and veggies left in their cazuela bowls. The stew gets its name from the cazuela pot, which is what it’s cooked in. Some hearty cazuela recipes include rice or noodles. CazuelaĪnother famous Chile food is Cazuela, which is a popular stew made with peppers, quinoa, chili, corn, potatoes, and chicken or other meats such as pork, turkey, or beef. It’s the national dish and comfort food of Chile. Pastele is typically made with garlic, onion, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, olives, and vegetables as well as meat. You’ll see it everywhere in Chile and in many variations and shapes from individual portions to large family-style casseroles. Pastel de choclo is a traditional corn casserole that’s usually filled with pino (pieces of cooked meat) and other ingredients. Instead, it translates to “tender corn” or freshly picked corn. Los Pasteles De ChocloĬhoclo does not mean chocolate. The completo Italiano is loaded with mayo, tomatoes, and avocado. The roll is lightly toasted for a delicious crunch. A completo comes with a variety of fixings, including mayo, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and sauerkraut. CompletoĪ completo is a Chilean hot dog and a popular street food, which is even larger than American-style hot dogs. It is served as a large platter and is meant to be shared. Restaurants typically serve it with a side of hot sauce (or pebre), ketchup, and mayo. Most often, it’s topped in sauteed onions, shredded beef, sausage, and fried or scrambled eggs. ChorrillanaĬhorrillana is a huge pile of french fries with delicious toppings. The sandwich is completed with two slices of freshly baked Chilean bread called pan amasado. This Chilean-style steak sandwich contains a thin layer of churrasco (sirloin steak) and is cooked on a griddle. Besides corn, this tasty dish usually includes potatoes, onions, pork, and beef. This native stew of northern Chile derives its name from the kernels of white corn that “pop” open when stewed for long enough. You’ll also see puffed quinoa pops for breakfast and foods made from quinoa flour including some delicious pastries. It’s a light and tasty seed that’s soft when cooked and served in salads, risotto, soups, and stews. You’ll find lots of quinoa dishes in the Atacama Desert in the northern altiplano region of Chile. Head further south to Patagonia where the Chilean cowboys, the ‘baqueanos’, ride their horses on the open range, and meat is also on the menu in a big way. It’s also heavily influenced by the country’s 2,600 miles of coastline, which offers up succulent seafood. The cuisine is not only delicious, but it’s also about as diverse cuisine as everything else in this, the second-longest country in the world, with its enormous range of microclimates, soil, and ecosystems. Traditional Chilean food is a mix of ingredients and dishes from the indigenous Mapuche and the Spanish.

Chile crunch