Chileans generally eat two main meals a day. The first is breakfast and the second — the real event — is lunch! Since it’s the biggest meal, lunch is hearty, family-centred and usually eaten a little later than many of us are used to, between 1–3pm. Businesses often close during this time, so don’t plan any shopping trips then!
🥣 The Menu — Simple Yet Satisfying
Because lunch is the star of the day, it often looks like a proper three-course meal with a starter, main and dessert — although dessert can be as simple as fruit or jelly. Honestly, a bowl of strawberries is perfectly fine for dessert in my books! Like most countries, dishes vary depending on region and season, but here are a few I’d love to try:
👶 Niños Envueltos
The name is brilliant — it literally means wrapped children. Thankfully, no actual children are involved! It’s vegetables wrapped in steak or minced meat, or rice wrapped in cabbage leaves, all cooked in a tomato sauce. It’s a common starter and often paired with pebre.
🫑 A Side of Pebre
Pebre is Chile’s national condiment, similar to a fresh salsa. It’s usually made with onion, coriander, chilli, and sometimes tomato. It’s seasoned with salt, lemon or lime. Pebre can be spread on bread, added to dishes or enjoyed as a dip — although it’s wise to scoop some onto your own plate first! It sounds refreshing alongside some of the heavier dishes.
🍲 Pantrucas
In winter, a warm soup is the perfect starter. Pantrucas is a rustic Chilean soup made with small squares of dough (just flour, water and salt). The soup base is usually a meat broth — beef, pork or turkey — with vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onions, plus herbs and spices. I love paprika, so I’d be excited to try this. And the dough pieces feel like such a cosy, homely touch.
🥩 Lomo a lo Pobre
Chile’s answer to steak and chips! It may sound simple, but Chileans top their steak and fries with fried eggs and onions, and sometimes peppers or carrots. Some versions even include plantain, which I’m still not sure about — but overall this sounds like a comforting staple. I’m happy to let Erika steal a few chips from my plate!
Chorrillana is similar, using the same core ingredients but with extras like chorizo, hotdogs or tomato. It’s usually served as a shared dish, often alongside beer.
🥘 Curanto
This is the dish I’m most excited for. Clams, mussels, sausages, chicken, pork, potatoes (in different styles), peppers and onions — all cooked in a pit lined with hot rocks. As the shellfish open, they release juices that create steam to cook everything else. It sounds incredible, and I genuinely can’t wait to try it during Chile’s summer months, when it’s most popular.
✨ Final Thoughts
I need to visit Chile in all seasons. The summer and winter foods feel different, yet tied together by their love of meat, potatoes and fresh local ingredients. It honestly reminds me of my grandparents’ style of cooking — hearty, simple and filling (maybe minus the salsa!).
I’m sure Erika will love the variety of potato dishes and the chance to try different sausages — plus the endless supply of bread, even if she’s unsure about the main dish. As for me? I plan to enjoy everything.
Couch Potato to World Getter 
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