8 Popular Local Dishes From Chile You Must Try

Chile has a wide range of dishes that are enjoyed by its people, and visitors alike. Chilean cuisine is an interesting mix of native and European influences, and if you visit the country, you are likely to run into a couple of Chilean dishes that will leave your taste buds tingling. Chilean food also tends to be very healthy, and some of the most used ingredients are vegetables, fruit, grains, eggs, legumes, seafood, pork, and chicken. Thanks to its variety, it can cater to most tastes, and won’t be too challenging to get accustomed to. Below you can read our list of the most popular dishes in Chile.

1. Ajiaco

Photo by El Aqujero | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Ajiaco is a meat soup that is also a famous dish in Bogota, Colombia. The Chilean version of this meat soup is made with meat leftover from large barbecues. The leftovers are diced and combined with onions, green hot chili peppers, salt, pepper, parsley, cumin, oregano and potatoes to make a fine meat soup. It is said that this soup is an excellent hangover cure and re-energizer, after a long night out.

2. Arrollado huaso

Source: Dulichvietnam Online

One of Chile’s most famous dishes, arrollado huaso, is a meat roll made with garlic, cumin, pork meat pulp, slices of bacon, and pepper. This mixture is then rolled in pork skin and cooked in a broth. We recommend you try arrollado huaso in smaller, quaint restaurants rather than major food outlets, so you can experience a more authentic taste, as those restaurants always add a little something extra to make this Chilean dish special.

3. Caldillo de Congrio

Photo by powerplantop | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Caldillo de congrio is a fish soup popular along the coast and central Chile. Its main ingredients are onions, garlic, peppers, carrots, coriander, and fish, but the recipe can vary, allowing one to put a personal touch to it. Though invigorating, the soup is light and enjoyed by most who try it. Caldillo de congrio is always served hot in a clay dish with mussels, and it pairs perfectly with white wine.

4. Chapalele

Photo by Daniela Riquelme Yáñez | CC BY-NC 2.0

Chapalele is Chilean potato bread, made out of boiled potatoes and wheat flour. The mixture is cut into squares and can be cooked, steamed, baked, or deep-fried. Another traditional bread is Milcao, only made with a mix of raw and cooked potatoes.

5. Chancho en Piedra

Source: FoodComas

Chanco en piedra is a popular Chilean sauce, usually paired with empanadas. This Chilean dish is made out of garlic oil, salt, tomatoes, and onion, all mixed and mashed in a stone mortar and pestle. There are many different ways to personalize the recipe, and it is typically served with bread, biscuits, and cheese.

6. Chorillana

Source: TripAdvisor

French fries, spicy sausage, two fried eggs, and beefsteak are the main ingredients in this popular Chilean dish. Being rich in cholesterol, Chorrillana is the ideal meal to share or to eat before any calorie-consuming activity. It can be easily prepared at home or ordered in fast-food restaurants.

7. Chunchules con Harina Tostada

Photo by Eemia21

If you’re not accustomed to it, you may frown at the prospect of eating pork or cow innards, but this unique example of Chilean food will definitely change your outlook. Chunchules con harina tostada is made with innards, which are stuffed with animal fat and meat paste, braided, and fried. Served with steamed potatoes, this dish is rich in cholesterol and is commonly a winter dish.

8. Curanto en Hoyo

Photo by PilotGirl | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Curanto en hoyo translates to hot stone, and that is exactly how this dish is prepared. A hole is dug in the ground, filled with stones, and then a fire is lit on top. Different types of meat, seafood, and potatoes, as well as milcao and chapalele, are placed on the hot rocks and covered with gunnera leaves that hold the steam. It takes a couple of hours for the meal to be cooked, but it’s definitely worth the wait. The secret to curanto en hoyo being one of the tastiest Chilean dishes is that the different kinds of seafood and meat release juices that steam all of the other ingredients. This creates a flavor-packed dish that is loved by many.

Are you a Chilean in diaspora, and miss all these local dishes and more? Perhaps you are also missing your loved ones back home! Send money online to Chile today by using Sharemoney as a quick and reliable money transfer platform.