#food illustration

Last one of #DessertsOfChile   Region: Arica y Parinacota

Pululos (or polulos) are inflated cereal puffs that are sold by the bag in Northern Chile, Bolivia and Peru - in areas traditionally populated by the Aymara indigenous people. The ancient ancestral ways of puffing up corn kernels were largely replaced by industrial process, but these traditional sweet snacks are still enjoyed around these parts

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey from South to North I hope this has been enjoyable and educational  

Here is a tag to see them all!

#DessertsOfChile Region: Tarapacá

Chumbeque is a classic treat from Iquique. It’s a dense brick of nougat-like sweet confection layered with honey, lemon syrup or other flavors. The recipe was created in early XX century by a Chinese immigrant who married a Chilean pastry chef and opened a small family business, combining Cantonese sweet traditions with local ingredients.

#DessertsOfChile Region: Antofagasta

Chañar is a tree that grows in the dry climate of northern Argentina and Chilean North. Arrope de chañar is a sweet, dark syrup made from its fruits that supposedly has medicinal properties, and is also used as, well, a syrup.

#DessertsOfChile Region: Atacama

Copao is the fruit of a wild cactus endemic to Chile that only grows in the Atacama desert It is pretty acidic, tastes somewhere between a lemon and a kiwi, so many people prefer to eat it with sugar. It is also used in Piscopao, a version of Pisco Sour that has copao juice instead of lemon

#DessertsOfChile Region: Coquimbo

Chilean papaya grows in and around the towns of Coquimbo and La Serena. It’s different from its tropical counterpart: smaller, yellow, and it’s often cooked in some way rather than eaten raw. You can try candied papayas, papayas in syrup, and all kinds of papaya preserves and sweets in Coquimbo

#DessertsOfChile Region: Valparaíso

La Ligua is a small town in Valparaíso region that is home to about a dozen types of traditional Chilean pastries known collectively as “dulces de La Ligua”. Pictured here: Cachitos, Chilenitos and Almejas.

#DessertsOfChile №10 out of 16
Region Metropolitana de Santiago and the most Chilean thing ever: Mote con huesillo This traditional drink/snack is enjoyed all over the country, but it seemed fitting to pinpoint it to the capital This is a sweet nectar made from dried peaches (huesillo) mixed with cooked wheat (mote). Served chilled and eaten with a spoon. 

#DessertsOfChile Region: O'Higgins

Torta Pompadour de plátano Is the signature cake of Rancagua. A variation on mille-feuille (milhojas), it has many thin sheets of pastry with alternating layers of manjar and banana flavored whipped cream

#DessertsOfChile Region: Maule

Torta Curicana is a traditional cake that originates from the city of Curicó. Layers of thin, crispy pastry are filled with manjar (dulce de leche, milk caramel). It can be flavored with orange or lúcuma, include walnuts or almonds; there are many varieties really. But the concept of manjar sandwiched between crunchy hojarasca pastry is a very Chilean thing

#DessertsOfChile Region: Ñuble

In Chile marshmallows are called “Sustancias” (literally: “substance”) The city of Chillán was famous for its sustancias that were made by local Catholic nuns. The gelatin was extracted from chicken bones (hence: “sustancia de ave") in a long, labour-intensive process. An early XX century cookbook "La Hermanita Hormiga” has the marshmallow recipe start with “take a big fat chicken…" Now they don’t make it the traditional way anymore, ain’t nobody got time for that.

#DessertsOfChile Region: Biobío

Pajaritos (“Little birds” ) are little sweet buns topped with meringue, sprinkles optional. They are traditionally made for September holidays, though you can find them all year round at the market in Concepción.

#DessertsOfChile Región: La Araucanía

Catutos (mültrün in mapudungun) are a traditional mapuche dish. Made of cooked wheat grains that are ground until they resemble paste, mixed with butter and salt, and formed into rounded diamond shapes that are then boiled or fried. Served with honey or homemade jam

#DessertsOfChile Region: Los Ríos

Murta (Chilean guava) is a sweet red berry that grows in abundance in Valdivian rainforest. A common way to preserve it is by boiling with sugar together with quince (Membrillo). Typical southern dessert!

#DessertsOfChile Region: Los Lagos

Chapaleles are traditional dumplings from Chiloé island that can be either savory or sweet. The sweet version doesn’t contain potatoes (usually) and is rectangular rather than round in shape. Served with honey!

ya boy has a piece up on Munchies today and it is accompanying an essay by Mayukh Sen about being romanced by an older man who seduced him with homemade nut cheese (I know). read it here!

Oh no, it’s another road trip travelogue. At the beginning of August, my two best buds and I drove up to Montreal from New York and had an extremely charming time. Here are my notes, featuring narwhals, toilet plants, a garbage barge, a graveyard, several breakfasts, Leonard Cohen, Librairie Drawn & Quarterly, “luxury rubbish,” Blink-182 (Syd wanted to note that we all sang along), dirt bowls, nickel-sized hail, and disco water. Please forgive my awful French.

See also: driving down California One

Another piece for Eater, written by Sarah Firshein on the joys of being a regular at a restaurant. I’ve been feeling this a bit lately, so it was sweet to get to illustrate someone else’s thoughts on the anchoring power of a good and reliable place to eat and hang out.