Food of Chile
Chilean food reflects a long country between the Andes and the Pacific, with seafood, corn, potatoes and fresh produce at its core. Home cooking favors hearty casseroles, stews and empanadas, while the coast supplies shellfish and fish in lime and herb marinades. Pebre, a fresh chili salsa, appears on most tables along with warm bread. Meals are social, centered around family tables and weekend barbecues called asados.
Pastel de choclo
A baked casserole of seasoned beef, chicken, olives and egg topped with sweet corn puree.
How to make Pastel de choclo- Main dishes (4)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (4)
- Soups (3)
- Salads (3)
- Breads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (4)
- Drinks (3)
- Fruits and produce (4)
Staples
- corn
- potatoes
- beans
- seafood
- beef
- squash
- wheat
- tomatoes
Signature flavors
- cilantro
- merken
- garlic
- cumin
- aji
- oregano
Main dishes
A baked casserole of seasoned beef, chicken, olives and egg topped with sweet corn puree.
Key ingredients: fresh corn, beef, chicken, onion, raisins, olives, hard-boiled egg, basilFull guide →
A comforting broth with a hearty piece of beef or chicken, potato, squash and corn.
Key ingredients: beef or chicken, potato, squash, corn, rice, cilantro
Fresh cranberry bean and corn stew with squash and basil, a summer favorite.
Key ingredients: cranberry beans, corn, squash, onion, basil
A Chiloe feast of shellfish, meats and potatoes cooked in an earthen pit.
Key ingredients: mussels, clams, pork, chicken, potatoes, milcaoBreakfast
Toasted bread topped with mashed avocado, a Chilean breakfast habit.
Key ingredients: bread, avocado, salt, lemonDense, rustic hearth bread served warm.
Key ingredients: flour, lard, yeast, saltEggs scrambled with tomato and onion.
Key ingredients: eggs, tomato, onionStreet food
The classic baked turnover filled with beef, onion, raisin, olive and egg.
Key ingredients: flour, beef, onion, raisins, olives, egg, cuminFull guide →
A loaded hot dog with avocado, tomato and mayonnaise.
Key ingredients: hot dog, bun, avocado, tomato, mayonnaise, sauerkraut
Round pumpkin-dough fritters, served with pebre or drizzled with syrup.
Key ingredients: squash, flour, oil, chancaca syrup
A refreshing summer drink and snack of wheat berries and dried peach in sweet syrup.
Key ingredients: husked wheat, dried peaches, sugar, cinnamonSoups
A flavorful conger eel soup immortalized in poetry, with potatoes and tomato.
Key ingredients: conger eel, potatoes, onion, cream, cilantroA seafood soup of mussels, clams and fish in a bright broth.
Key ingredients: shellfish, fish, tomato, garlic, cilantroDumpling soup.
Key ingredients: flour, beef broth, parsleySalads
A simple salad of tomato, onion and cilantro with oil and salt.
Key ingredients: tomato, onion, cilantro, olive oil, lemon
A fresh salsa of tomato, onion, cilantro and aji, served with bread.
Key ingredients: tomato, onion, cilantro, aji, garlic, oilCelery and avocado salad with lemon.
Key ingredients: celery, avocado, lemonBreads
A crusty, four-part bread roll eaten daily.
Key ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, water
Flat round bread, soft and slightly flaky.
Key ingredients: flour, lard, yeast, saltDesserts and sweets
Dulce-de-leche-filled cookies called manjar.
Key ingredients: flour, cornstarch, butter, manjar
A baked milk custard with a caramel top.
Key ingredients: milk, eggs, sugar, vanillaFried pumpkin dough soaked in spiced chancaca syrup.
Key ingredients: squash, flour, chancaca, orange peel, cinnamonThin layered cake with dulce de leche.
Key ingredients: pastry layers, manjarDrinks
Chilled wheat and peach drink.
Key ingredients: husked wheat, dried peaches, sugarFresh raspberry juice.
Key ingredients: raspberries, water, sugarChilean afternoon tea known as 'once', with bread.
Key ingredients: tea, milk, bread, avocadoFruits and produce
Creamy fruit from the central valley.
Key ingredients: eaten with a spoon, juice, ice cream
Caramel-flavored fruit for desserts.
Key ingredients: ice cream, cakes
Chile's creamy Hass avocados, essential on bread.
Key ingredients: toast, salads, sandwiches
A major export, sweet and dark.
Key ingredients: fresh, jam, piesDish guides from Chile
Explore Chile on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of South America
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Falkland Islands
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Pastel de choclo: Paloma Baytelman from Santiago, Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cazuela ecuatoriana: Paborbor, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Porotos granados and Chilean salad: User:Pachanka, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Destape de curanto: Lin linao, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tapa de empanadillitas: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Completo italiano: Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Sopapillas: Popo le Chien, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mote con huesillo: Nellu Mazilu from Mobile, Terra, Sol, Milky Way, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Caldillo de congrio: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ensalada a la Chilena (4769277224): Carlos Varela, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pebre chileno: Piterquin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Marraqueta bread: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Panes chilenos: man77, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- La leche asada: Maythiare330, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cherimoya tree hg: Hannes Grobe 21:31, 5 November 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pouterialucuma1: Hipólito Ruiz & José Pavón, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Persea americana fruit 2: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cherry season (48216568227): spurekar, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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