Famous Street Foods in Chile

Sanguche de Potito

When ChileÊs first railroad was built from Santiago to Valparaiso in 1851, the early travelers had to eat whatever the white-gowned salespeople with their wickerwork baskets offered at the train stations. The food had to be fast and practical to prepare, easy to eat, and delicious. The result was the „traveling sandwich, prepared with a round, flat,

unleavened loaf cooked directly over the fire or embers ( tortilla de rescoldo ), cheese, and ham. Different versions were created, and in the mid-1930s, the sanguche de potito was born. Potito means „backside, and the name came because of the meat, fried beef or pork intestines or the terminal end of the animal’s rectum. The sandwich was served with a sausage and onion and salsa pebre. Today these sandwiches are sold at stadiums or public events and are especially popular in Santiago.

Sopaipillas (Pumpkin Fritters)

A sopaipilla is a fried pastry traditionally made from leavened wheat dough or a mixture of wheat and corn flour and shortening or butter. It is traditionally made and eaten during cold or rainy weather. In central Chile, boiled pumpkin called zapallo is added to the dough. After rising, the dough is rolled out and cut into circular, square, or triangular shapes that are then deep-fried in oil. The frying causes the shapes to puff up, forming a hollow pocket in the center.

If eaten as a pastry, sopaipillas can be dipped in chancaca , a sweet syrupy sauce made of brown sugar,
orange zest, hone, and cinnamon. In warmer weather and in southern Chile, they are often served with manjar , a thick caramel custard, ketchup, and mustard, or salsa pebre.

Mote con Huesillos 

Mote con huesillo is as Chilean as the huaso ( the proud horseman), and its preparation can be traced back to the pre-Columbus native populations. It is a sweet, clear, nonalcoholic drink made from with dried peaches ( huesillo ) cooked in sugar or honey, water, and cinnamon, mixed with fresh cooked husked wheat ( mote ).

The sugar is caramelized to give the drink a rich orange color. The drink is served chilled, in a tall glass with a long spoon for easy serving. Occasionally, it is served with dried prunes.

Empanadas

Chilean empanadas can have a wide range of fillings, but three types are the most popular. One is baked and filled with pino , a mixture of beef, onions, raisins, black olives, and a hard-boiled egg. The second is filled with seafood and fried. The third kind contains cheese and may be baked or fried. There are many variations on these basic types: for example, pino can be made without raisins and olives or all kinds of seafood may be used, such as mussels, crab, prawns, or locos (similar to abalone), or shrimp may be mixed with the cheese. Chilean empanadas are considerably larger than Argentinian empanadas, so that usually one is enough for a meal.

Churro

The dessert staple of Chilean street food, churro , is basically long thin pieces of ridged dough that are deep-fried and coated with sugar, sometimes both granulated and powdered. They are sold plain or filled with manjar. They are best served very hot.