If you’ve been to Chile, you’ve likely tried some of the country’s top culinary dishes. You’ve probably also heard of the famous mote con huesillo, pastel de choclo, and torta de merengue. These dishes, and others, are some of the best you should try while you’re there. Read on to discover more! And don’t forget to try the delicious seafood in Chile!
Pastel de choclo
The first of the 3 top Chilean dishes we bring to you is pastel de choclo. It is a perfect example of where Spanish and Mapuche culinary traditions meet. This classic dish combine ingredients to create an entirely different eating experience. This dish is a fusion of Spanish and native South American traditional food. Corn is a big part of the food culture in South America.
Its name translates to ‘corn pie’, and it is one of the favorite comfort food for locals and visitors alike. It contains a layer of pino, at the bottom of the pot, which is made mainly with beef and onion. On top goes a layer of caramelized corn for a delightfully contrasting taste.
Pastel de choclo is usually served with a piece of hard-boiled egg, raisins, and olives, all of that mixed with the layer of meat below the layer of smashed corn. It is traditionally cooked and baked in a clay pot, and its rich taste makes it a favorite of Chilean cuisine. This incredible dish is served with savory ingredients and is a staple of the country’s cuisine. If you’re traveling to Chile make sure to try this popular dish.
Mote con huesillo
The second of the 3 top Chilean dishes we bring to you is mote con huesillos. This cool drink is a delicious way to cool off on a hot summer afternoon. Traditionally made from sun-dried peaches and a cereal called mote. The cereal is made using wood ashes to create an alkaline solution that nixtamalizes mote and makes it digestible. The sun-dried peaches are hydrated by boiling them with sugar and chancaca.
Mote con huesillo is one of Chile’s favorites in summer. It is a classic and if you visit the city of Chillan you must pay a visit to the avenue that is full of karts selling it year-round. You might not plan or have enough time to go to Chillan but there are a few street spots in Santiago where you can find it. One of the most popular spots is at the summit of Cerro San Cristobal. It’s delicious, refreshing, and cheap, you can even find it as street food. Be warned: the sugar content can be alarming!
Torta de merengue
The third of the 3 top Chilean dishes we bring to you is torta de merengue. The translation would be meringue cake. A traditional dessert from Chile, torta de merengue is reminiscent of the southwestern dessert from Spain. The Chilean twist is on the meringue. On the one hand, the Spanish version is made like a sandwich where a layer of fruit is between two layers of baked meringue. On the other hand, the Chilean version has at least one more layer of sugared fruit and at least one more layer of baked meringue. Additionally, the Chilean version is all covered with fresh meringue adding this way a richer and complete taste.
There are many delicious ways to enjoy this dessert, one of the main alternatives is to change the fruit. Normally is raspberry or strawberry but can also be peaches or pineapple. It can be served at room temperature but Chileans love it almost frozen as well. Some like to add a combination of manjar and lucuma which makes for a delicious dessert. Another way to enjoy it is with heavy cream and cinnamon as cover. Some people like to add shredded almonds to their desserts as well.
If you are looking for the ultimate dessert in Chile, try Torta de merengue. The meringue-filled cake has a crunchy, sweet, yet softly in-the-mouth taste. A meringue base is egg whites to form a soft meringue. After that, the result is the paste used to cover the cake or it can be shaped as big disks in order to bake them so they turn hard. These big disks will be then used as the main structure for the cake.
Final
Chileans have a tradition of celebrating independence in September. They celebrate with traditional dishes, empanadas, pastel de choclo, mote con huesillos, and torta de merengue, among others. You can find these traditional dishes everywhere but September and summer are the prime time of the year to enjoy these three culinary marvels.
