Chile Foods - tasty traditions and succulent seafoods

First thing you see in Santiago restaurants ~ Neat napkins!

In casual restaurants and coffee bars, napkins were set out on counters and tables as they are shown in the photo: Small squares of highly-unabsorbent, single-ply tissues carefully fanned out inside a glass or tumbler and placed on each table. I confess I had to watch other diners to confirm that these were indeed napkins and not drink coasters before I used one.

Of course, when I went for high tea at the Ritz-Carlton in Santiago's El Golf, (the only Ritz-Carlton in South America), the napkins, as all else, were first rate. McDonald's abound, with a menu adapted to South American tastes (the beef patties seemed to be beefier, a burger dubbed 'McNifico' (say it) came with a lovely avocado sauce like a mild guacamole, the buns reflected Chile's excellent breads), and catered to the Chilean passion for soft ice cream via serving counters that opened directly onto the sidewalk.

In Santiago, El Hoyo restaurant serves traditional Chilean food

For traditional Chilean food (comida tipica), I was told, head to El Hoyo, in Santiago, just a few blocks from the Metro Central Station.

This homey establishment has been in business since 1912, and is still a busy, friendly spot for meals. After my trip, I found a web site for the restaurant published in English (See El Hoyo details).

El Hoyo Homestyle Ribs

Cazuela traditional homestyle recipe

Cazuela is often described as a style of stew, but the broth is very light and clear. In southern Chile, I had a very similar dish made with chicken instead of the beef shown here. In the case of the chicken, it was listed on that menu as 'Chicken soup'.

My Chilean companion informed me this is a casual dish, one that people cook at home for the family, not for company. Busy homemakers simmer the meat all day, then add a few green beans, carrot slices and a boiled potato, and a bit of salt when ready to serve.

Carmen in Valparaiso writes: "The cazuela is the most typical dish of the country side of Chile and traditionally made with beef, potato, a piece of pumpkin, carrot slices, red or green pepper slices and green beans. Also, during summer, with a piece of yellow corn. Served on a clay dish."

Marraquetta ~ Crusty Bread

This crusty bread (marraquetta) is served with meals at El Hoyo. It's great plain, or spread with butter, or topped with a bit of pebre (Chilean salsa made with diced tomato, onion, coriander and lime juice.

(See Carmen's comment below for her style of pebre)

Terremoto :: the Drinkable Earthquake

A specialty drink of the house, El Hoyo makes pitchersful of Terremoto, a combination of the new wine called pipeño (pip-AIN-yo), pineapple juice and vanilla ice cream.

Solo diners can order a smaller version, Temblor (aftershock).

Seafood and Dipping Sauces

El Encanto de Reñaca (ren-YAK-ah) is a beachfront seafood restaurant in the coastal community of Reñaca, just north of Vina del Mar. It seems a popular spot for tour buses.

We special-ordered a seafood sampler so both my guide and I would be sure we were referring to the same item when assigning it a name.

This seafood platter was served with a selection of three sauces: Mayonnaise (yellow); American dressiing (red -- French dressing to North Americans); and a dark one that I cannot identify.

Marisco (shellfish) - Shrimp, scallops, clams, squid

Clockwise, from top (red):
camarones - shrimp
centollas - King crab legs
machas - razor clams (the six ear-shaped pieces)
ostiones - scallops (the entire inner scallop, not just the white muscle)
crab - scoop of flaked crab
locos - abalone (white slices fanned along left edge)
calamar - squid (mound under the lemon slice)
cholgas - musssels (dark mound in center) [note:Cholgas are big mussels; choritos are mussels. Squid is Calamar.-Carmen]
almejas - clams (left of mussels)

Mercado Central in Santiago fresh fish market

Located three blocks north of Plaza de Armas in Santiago Centro, this large market offers a wide variety of fish and shellfish, and a number of restaurants featuring the same. A separate area is given over to seafood restaurants and the vegetable market.

Vegetable Market in Santiago near Mercado Centro

Across the street from the fish market is the main vegetable market and a number of seafood restaurants. At Donde Augusto (sign in background), we stopped for a lunch of grilled sea bass and french fried potatoes. The restaurants are separated by low grillwork fencing, and friendly waiters stationed near the entrance gates call out the daily specials, and urge passersby to stop and eat.

Nispero (Japanese Plum, Loquat, Nispolero)

At the vegetable market, I bought this small fruit, new to me, called 'nispero' (NEES-pair-oh). It has a sweet, mildly lemon taste. The thin, rubbery peel comes off easily, the chambered core has a few large seeds. The actual edible fruit part is about a quarter-inch thick. I later learned that nispero (also known as Japanese plum, loquat and nispolero) is native to Costa Rica, and considered an invasive species on a number of South Pacific islands.

Custard Apples in Australia, Chirimoya in Chile

Known in Chile as 'chirimoya' (cheery-MOY-ah) this fruit appeared in a bowl, peeled and in large chunks, at the hotel breakfast buffet, and most of we tourists didn't know what it was, so we asked.

My guidebook listed the English translation of chirimoya as Custard Apple, a name I knew for a fruit I had not before tasted. An Australian-born friend living in Canada got positively misty-eyed when describing how much she longed for the taste of a custard apple. This fragile-skinned fruit does not ship well.

Inner Chirimoya soft and creamy

The bright green peel of the chirimoya had begun to turn an alarming dark brown, so I decided I had better eat it before it spoiled. The thin skin broke off in small, firm pieces, and when I had removed enough of it, I used the remaining skin as a bowl.

Though it looked really mushy, I gamely dipped in my spoon and took a bite. The texture was not at all grainy: It was very creamy, like a lovely lemon-vanilla custard. The seeds are smooth and firm, about the size of kidney beans, and easy enough to eat around.

Chicken Soup at Restaurant Kiel

I ordered the Chicken Soup for lunch at Restaurant Kiel, a short distance from Puerto Montt (Kiel photo) in the Lake District. I expected the usual bowl of diced veggies and chicken so common in North America Instead got this very tasty treat that seemed the same as cazuela (above). The pale spears on the plate are canned white asparagus, billed as a salad. Add your own oil and vinegar. For a drink, I had frutilla -- fresh strawberry juice.

Carmen, Valparaiso: "[This dish is called] 'cazuela de pollo” (chicken cazuela) which has the same accompaniments."

Hot Dog, Chilean style

Throughout Santiago, I had taken note of the many stand-up hot dog stands filled with diners wolfing down very large hot dogs.

My first chance to try one was at the ski hill at PN Vicente Perez Rosales, a national park in the Lake District near Puerto Varas. The wiener itself is the standard North American size, but the bun is much larger, to make room for your choice of many toppings. This one came with an avocado sauce. Great coffee and hot chocolate, too.

From Carmen: "We call a hot dog a “Completo”. Completo can have many toppings, as you said, but the real one has: avocado sauce, diced tomatoes, “salsa Americana” or chop pickles (gherkins, carrots, chives (which I presume is a small onion called here cebolla perla) and chukrut or coleslaw (cabbage sliced in vinaigrette without carrots). Obviously covered with mayonnaise. Of course I always added hot sauce and ketchup."