Since Santiago is a big city, sometimes it is hard to find traditional Chilean food. Most of the restaurants in Santiago are actually Peruvian! So far I have enjoyed Mote con huesillo (a delicious peach drink), ensalada Chileana (tomatoes and onions tossed in oil), and lots of empanadas!
I have tried a lot of empanadas in Chile. Empanadas are baked pastries full of different fillings—I love cheese and shrimp empanadas the best! The most traditional Chilean empanada is Empanada de Pino. This pastry is full of beef, onion, raisins and spices, Every empanada has an olive and a piece of a hard-boiled egg inside—it's a tradition.
When I tried my first warm empanada, I loved it. Empanadas are popular all over Latin American, so every country puts their own spin on the dish.
Empanadas de Pino are served with another traditional Chilean food called Pebre. Pebre is a hot chili salsa. In Chile, chili peppers are referred to as aji peppers. Otherwise, it would be so easy to confuse the country, Chile, with the pepper! The salsa is made with onions, garlic, coriander, olive oil and aji peppers.
