Mapuche Cuisine
Mapuche, or “People of the land”, cooking had some influence on the new cuisine that came from Spain. Ingredients were joined and the national cuisine came up that still remains; however, there are some preparations that remain in time and are recognized as belonging to the “people of the land” tradition.
Catuto (ground wheat)
Basic food of Mapuches, made with ground wheat and water. It is served with different jams, like mirtilla Chilean berry (ugi molinae), blackberry and rosehip or with some sauces.
Charquicán (Pumpkin, potato, corn and meat stew)
This curious name comes from the quechua language charqui, meaning meat, and the mapudungún Mapuche language cancan, meaning hot. It is known as a Mapuche dish and according to some gastronomy books it is recognized as the national dish. The preparation contains meat, onion, potatoes, pumpkin, oil and paprika. It is eaten all along the nation, from North to South and in some places of the coast the meat is replaced by cochayuyo, a marine seaweed found aplenty in the beaches of Chile.
Harina Tostada (Toasted wheat flour)
Wheat flour toasted in a pot in the center of the ruca or Mapuche hut, where the mother looks after her child who is in the chigua basket cradle as she moves the pot in the fire pit. This ancestral scene passed from the Mapuche tradition to the Chilean countryside, so then, in any country house, harina tostada was made, sweetened with sugar or honey and turned into the nourishing and invigorating ulpo, made with milk for the children and with red wine for the laborers at the beginning of a hard day’s work in the farm.
Culén Punsch
Culén ist ein Busch der in der gesamten Zentralzone von Chile gefunden werden kann. Aus seiner Rinde wird ein Punsch zubereitet, der Nelken, Zimt, Zucker und aguardiente beinhaltet. Schon in den 60ern war es bei Parties von jungen Leuten weit verbreitet, entweder um auch die schüchternsten Mädchen etwas aufzulockern oder die Jungs beim Flirten zu helfen.
Merkén (Dried red hot chili pepper)
It is a Mapuche condiment very fashionable as of these times and used a lot in the reinterpretation of the national, traditional gastronomy. It is fashionable to talk about and eat merkén, prepared with hot chili, dried and smoked, ground and salt. There exists some cheeses in the Colchagua area that incorporate merkén in their preparation, and some dried fruits, like almonds, peanuts an walnuts, are also served with merkén. Spicy mashed potatoes seasoned with merkén can even be found in the new modern restaurants, where young chefs try to rescue the Mapuche as well as the Chilean culinary tradition.