Food is also more seasonal, it seems, so when it is "porotos granados" season (a type of fresh bean), everyone eats porotos granados. Valparaíso is a large seafood city, so seafood is also an important part of the culture, with lots of fresh fish being eaten.
The second way that food is connected to the local environment is community-based. Chilean culture really revolves around food (especially the big lunch), and so the environment of the city really feels like it is centered on food. Everywhere you go, there is little food restaurants or smiling ladies offering you a fresh cooked Empanada. Food is very social here and this makes for a very social city where everyone is connected with each other, sitting around a big table eating lunch.
