Chilean

= Chilean Cuisine =

__ Introduction/History __
Chilean cuisine is mainly a combination between Spanish cuisine with traditional Chilean ingredients. Chilean food stands out due to the fact that it includes the extensive use of colors and flavors. Chile's geographical location and coastline makes seafood another main ingredient to its cuisine. Furthermore, many Chilean recipes are enhanced and flavored by wine since Chile is one of the world's largest producers of wine. Chilean cuisine also includes a large variety of crops and fruits. Because of the large variety of products, Chile's cuisine is often divided into three major sections: cuisine of the North, Central Coast, and South.

__ Typical Foods __

 * Crops:** In Chile, agricultural products are highly appreciated and implemented into their cooking. The major crops used in Chilean cuisine are olives, //chirimoya,// maze, //lucuma////, ugni molinae,// and potatoes.


 * Seafood:** A large variety of high quality seafood is available to Chilean cuisine because of the large coastline and Chile's geographical location. Fish such as the Chilean sea bass, loco, and picoroco are unique to Chile and cannot be found anywhere else. Chileans also have access to traditional seafood such as shrimp, oysters, clams, squid, corvina (salmon), and many others.


 * Meat:** Chile also has access to high quality meat such as beef, pork, poultry, and lamb.


 * Breads:** Like in many other cuisines, bread is available and is important in Chilean cuisine. Dishes such as marraqueta, ayuya, and hallulla are the most typical bread dishes.


 * Desserts:** Chilean cuisine includes a large variety of delicious pastries. They include alfajores (filled with manjar and covered in chocolate and coconut), berlin (a jelly filled doughnut), and borrachitos (liquor filled pastries).

__ Famous Dishes __
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 * Cazuela- Spanish originated soup consumed in Chile. Typically served with beef or chicken.
 * Empanadas de horne
 * Porotos grenados
 * Asado
 * Alfajores
 * Pisco (South American liquor distilled from grapes)

__ Foreign Influences __
Chilean cuisine is greatly influenced by Spanish cuisine. European influence such as German, Italian, Croatian, and French also exists. Chilean Cuisine, in addition to the European influence, shows some Middle Eastern Influence.