Chilean Food: A Glossary for Hungry Travellers
Chilean cuisine offers a delicious blend of Spanish and European flavours, indigenous ingredients and Mapuche traditions. Understanding the language is key to unlocking a world of tasty delights, whether you're exploring local markets, ordering in a restaurant, or chatting with locals, this guide will equip you with the vocabulary to navigate Chile's culinary scene.
Popular Chilean Food
- Pastel de choclo: A baked savoury pie. Traditionally filled with ground beef, onions, olives, raisins and hard-boiled eggs, then topped with blended corn.
- Empanadas: Similar to the British pasty, these savoury pastries come with various fillings. Popular options include pino (beef, onions, raisins, olives, and hard-boiled eggs), queso (cheese) and mariscos (seafood). If the sides of the pastry are folded, the empanada has been baked, if the sides of the pastry are crimped, the empanada has been fried.
- Curanto: A Mapuche stew, traditionally cooked in a pit with hot stones and leaves. It contains a mix of seafood, meat and vegetables.
- Humitas: A traditional food, made by steaming mashed corn in a tightly wrapped corn husk.
- Completos: Chile's famous hot dogs are piled high with various toppings and there are many options to choose from. Each combination of ingredients has a different name, here’s a few popular choices: Alemán (German) is tomato, sauerkraut and mayonnaise, Italiano (Italian) is tomato, avocado, and mayonnaise, and Dinámico (Dynamic) is usually tomato, avocado, sauerkraut, mayonnaise and a relish known as salsa Americana.
- Choripán: A grilled chorizo sausage, in a bread roll, often topped with pebre.
- Caldillo de congrio: A fish soup made with conger eel.
- Cazuela: A hearty stew with meat (usually chicken or beef), pumpkin, corn cobs, potatoes, and rice.
- Lomo a lo pobre: A generous plate of fries, with steak, fried eggs and fried onions.
- Machas a la parmesana: Clams baked with wine and parmesan cheese.
- Charquicán: A traditional dish with Mapuche roots. It used to be made with jerky (charqui) but is now commonly made with minced beef. It’s a thick stew that combines meat with seasonal vegetables and roughly mashed potatoes. A fried egg is often served on top.
- Chorrillana: A mountain of french fries topped with sautéed beef, onions, and fried eggs.
- Porotos granados: A bean stew with corn, squash, onion, and basil.
- Chupe de mariscos: A creamy seafood casserole that’s topped with cheese.
- Pastel de papas: A hearty and comforting dish similar to shepherd's pie. Minced beef is fried with cumin, paprika, oregano and onions, then topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown. Traditional versions include raisins, hard-boiled eggs and olives.
- Carbonada: With its generous portion of broth, this beef and vegetable stew offers the heartiness of a stew and the comforting qualities of a soup.
- Ceviche: A dish of raw fish, that is marinated in citrus juice and combined with a mix of chilli, coriander and red onion. Many varieties can be found, including vegetarian mango ceviche. This dish has become popular thanks to the many Peruvian restaurants in Chile.
- Pichanga: A plate of stuff to munch on, such as sausages, cold cuts, cheeses, pickled vegetables, olives etc.
- Chacarero: A popular sandwich across Chile. A crusty marraqueta roll is filled with thin slices of steak, cooked green beans, sliced tomatoes, chilli and a generous amount of mayo.
- Lomito: A classic Chilean sandwich. A bread roll is stuffed with juicy slices of pork loin, tomatoes and plenty of mayo. As with the famous Completos, you can select various topping combinations to suit your tastes.
Chilean Snacks and Desserts
- Sopaipillas: Deep-fried pumpkin dough, that can be enjoyed with pebre as a savoury snack or sprinkled with icing sugar as a sweet treat. Sopaipillas pasadas is a dessert where sopaipillas are soaked in a sweet syrup called chancaca.
- Mote con huesillos: A popular snack, especially in the summer. Cooked wheat berries and dehydrated peaches are served in a glass and covered with a sweet liquid.
- Leche asada: Chilean Leche Asada, which translates to "roasted milk”, is a traditional dessert similar to flan or crème brûlée. It’s a baked custard with a caramelised top layer.
- Alfajor: A traditional sweet treat consisting of two delicate round biscuits joined together by a generous layer of manjar. Often, they are dipped in chocolate or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- Chilenito: Chilenitos are small, traditional Chilean cakes. They are made with layers of thin wafers, manjar, and often have a meringue coating.
- Cuchuflí: Light, crispy wafer rolls. Often filled with manjar or coated in chocolate.
- Torta de mil hojas: A classic Chilean dessert that translates to "thousand layers cake”. It’s made with thin layers of pastry, filled with manjar and often a layer of jam.
- Torta tres leches: A popular dessert with a moist and creamy texture. A sponge cake is soaked in a mixture of evaporated, condensed and whole milk. It’s chilled and topped with either cream or meringue.
- Calzones rotos: A simple but delicious treat of fried dough dusted with icing sugar.
Traditional Chilean Breads
- Marraqueta: A type of crusty bread roll. It is easily recognisable by its unique shape, consisting of two connected rolls that can be easily separated.
- Pan amasado: Homemade bread rolls that are kneaded and risen with yeast. They have a satisfying crust on the outside.
- Hallulla: A popular flatbread, often enjoyed for breakfast, as a side dish, or used to make sandwiches. They are soft and slightly chewy inside, with a thin, crisp crust.
- Dobladitas: Small, triangular-shaped bread rolls with a golden brown crust. Their name comes from the fact that the dough is folded (doblado in Spanish) before baking. They are dense and taste similar to baked pastry dough.
Must-Try Chilean Drinks
- Piscola: Chile's national cocktail, made with pisco (a grape brandy) and cola.
- Cortado: A coffee that consists of espresso with a small amount of steamed milk. The ratio of espresso to milk is typically higher than a latte, resulting in a strong coffee.
- Café helado: This Chilean iced drink combines freshly brewed coffee and vanilla ice cream. Optional extras include sugar, condensed milk, whipped cream, ground cinnamon and chocolate shavings.
Chilean Spanish vs. Castilian Spanish
Don't be surprised if you encounter unfamiliar words and phrases while travelling in Chile, even if you're fluent in Spanish. Chilean Spanish has a unique vocabulary, and some words differ from Castilian Spanish (also known as Castellano Spanish), for example:
| English | Castilian Spanish | Chilean Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Peas | Guisantes | Arvejas |
| Beans | Judías/alubia/habichuelas | Porotos |
| Cashews | Anacardos | Castañas de cajú |
| Squash | Calabaza | Zapallo |
| Potatoes | Patatas | Papas |
| Avocado | Aguacate | Palta |
| Strawberry | Fresa | Frutilla |
| Peach | Melocotón | Durazno |
| Beetroot | Remolacha | Betarraga |
| Sweet Potato | Batata | Camote |
| Corn | Maíz | Choclo |
| Chicken | Pollo | Pollo/gallina/pollo de gallina |
| Crab | Cangrejo | Jaiba |
Chilean Spanish - Vegetables
- Ají: Chilli
- Ajo: Garlic
- Porotos: Beans
- Habas: Broad beans
- Choclo: Corn
- Palta: Avocado
- Aceitunas: Olives
- Zapallo: Squash
- Cebolla: Onion
- Zanahorias: Carrots
- Arvejas: Peas
- Papas: Potatoes
- Camote: Sweet Potato
- Champiñones: Mushrooms
- Tomate: Tomato
- Pepino: Cucumber
- Apio: Celery
- Betarraga: Beetroot
- Berenjena: Aubergine
- Pimiento: Pepper (verde, amarillo and rojo, are green, yellow and red)
Chilean Spanish - Fruit
- Lucuma: Lucuma is a fruit native to the Andean valleys of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador. Its flavour is a mix of sweet potato, maple syrup, and butterscotch. It’s commonly added to desserts, smoothies, and other Chilean recipes.
- Piña: Pineapple
- Plátano: Banana
- Manzana: Apple
- Frutillas: Strawberries
- Uvas: Grapes
- Durazno: Peach
- Pasas: Raisins
- Naranja: Orange
- Pera: Pear
- Arándanos: Blueberries
Chilean Spanish - Dairy
- Queso: Cheese
- Queso chanco: A traditional Chilean cheese known for its semi-soft texture and mild, slightly salty flavour. It’s not vegetarian because it’s made with rennet.
- Queso fresco: A fresh cheese with a mild, slightly salty, and milky flavour. It has a soft, smooth texture.
- Queso de Cabra: Goat’s cheese
- Leche: Milk
- Mantequilla: Butter
- Helado: Ice cream
Chilean Spanish - Fish and Seafood
- Mariscos: Seafood
- Pecados: Fish (con/sin piel means with/without skin).
- Merluza: Hake
- Salmón: Salmon
- Jaiba: Crab
- Camarones: Shrimp
- Pulpo: Octopus
- Trucha: Trout
- Atún: Tuna
- Cholgas: Mussels
- Congrio: Conger eel
- Machas: Razor clams
- Ostiones: Oysters
- Choritos: Mussels
Chilean Spanish - Meat
- Pavo: Turkey
- Carne or Vacuno: Beef
- Pollo or gallina or pollo de gallina: Chicken (con/sin piel means with/without skin and pechuga de pollo means chicken breast).
- Cerdo: Pork
- Cordero: Lamb
- Longaniza: A traditional Chilean pork sausage, seasoned with spices like paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic, and chilli. The texture is firm and slightly coarse, with visible pieces of fat and spices.
- Tocino: Bacon
- Jamón: Ham
Chilean Spanish - Herbs and Seasoning
- Albahaca: Basil
- Cilantro: Coriander
- Perejil: Parsley
- Merquén: A smoked chilli blend.
- Ají de color: Sweet paprika
- Comino: Cumin
- Sal y pimienta: Salt and pepper
- Azúcar: Sugar
Chilean Spanish - Side Dishes
- Arroz: Rice
- Papas fritas: French fries or chips
- Pan: Bread
- Huevos: Eggs
- Mote: Wheat kernels
Chilean Spanish - Salsas and Dips
- Pebre: A fresh salsa made with tomatoes, onions and coriander.
- Chancho en piedra: A tomato-based salsa with garlic and chillies.
- Manjar: A sweet milk caramel, similar to dulce de leche.
Chilean Spanish - Drinks
- Café: Coffee
- Té: Tea
- Agua con gas: Sparkling water
- Agua sin gas: Still water
- Jugo: Juice
- Cerveza: Beer
- Vino: Wine (tinto/blanco - red/white)
Chilean Spanish - Cooking Methods
- Asado: Barbecued or grilled
- Ahumado: Smoked
- A la plancha: Griddled
- Tostado: Toasted
- Cocido en agua: Boiled
- Frito: Fried
- Al horno: Baked
- Pochado / escalfado: Poached
Chilean Spanish - Restaurants and Menus
- Almuerzo: Lunch
- Desayuno: Breakfast
- Cena: Dinner
- Once: Similar to afternoon tea, generally a light meal with bread, cheese, meats, and other snacks.
- Plato: Dish or plate
- Menú del día: Daily menu, usually offering a fixed-price lunch.
- Plato del día: Dish of the day, usually a good value option.
- Fuente de soda: Old-fashioned diner-style restaurant.
- La carta: The menu
- La cuenta: The bill
- La propina: The tip
Now that you know the lingo, you're ready to explore the menus and markets of Chile. ¡Buen provecho! (Enjoy your meal!).
