Pisco sour, Chilean wine, empanadas, or pastel de choclo—these are probably some of the foods that come to mind when thinking about Chilean gastronomy. But the country has much more to offer in terms of food and drink. If you're traveling through Chile, you can take a culinary excursion from the capital, Santiago, to learn more about the local cuisine—and, of course, try it out!
There are two options: a half-day or a full-day excursion. On the full-day tour, you’ll first visit La Vega, a bustling market in the city center, to buy ingredients. Afterward, you'll head to Chef Carolina’s home, where you’ll be welcomed with an aperitif, receive information about the local cuisine and the cooking process, and help prepare the ingredients for a delicious meal. You’ll then sit down to enjoy a five-course meal paired with Chilean wine.
If you choose the half-day tour, you’ll skip the market visit and go straight from your hotel to the chef’s home. You’ll then enjoy the same activities as the full-day tour.
Camila Milla, head of reservations at Cascada Expediciones, tried out the excursion and is happy to share her thoughts.
The first stop of the excursion is Santiago’s central market, known as La Vega or Vega Central. In these huge market halls, you can buy meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, bread, and much more. While Carolina picks out the ingredients she’ll use for the meal, you can take in the surroundings. "I’ve visited this market many times, it always feels vibrant and exciting. This time, I noticed new details I hadn’t before," says Camila. "The colors and variety of products make it very photogenic. It’s also great for travelers to experience a local spot that’s frequented by Santiago residents, not just tourists."
It’s important to note that you’ll only visit La Vega if you book the excursion from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays and weekends, the market is much busier and less pleasant to explore.
After visiting the market, Carolina takes you to her home in El Arrayán, a neighborhood in Santiago nestled at the foothills of the Andes, about a 30-minute drive. There, you’ll be greeted by Nico, Carolina’s partner and host. “The house is very cozy and beautifully located, surrounded by trees and birds. You feel like you’re no longer in Santiago”, shares Camila. “Nico taught us how to make pisco sour, which we then tasted together.”
Next, you’ll help prepare the meal—this time, by chopping tomatoes and onions for pebre, a typical Chilean salsa. While Carolina and her assistant continue cooking, Nico explains the origin of various Chilean products.
Afterward, it’s time to sit down and enjoy the meal. You can choose from different menus: seafood, Chilean BBQ, meat, or vegetarian. Camila and her group dined on the patio and opted for the vegetarian menu with shellfish. They enjoyed dishes such as mushroom ceviche, loco (Chilean abalone) or asparagus with a puree of Chiloé potatoes and black garlic mayo, a seaweed chupé (casserole) with goat cheese and mussels, quinoa with pesto, and leche asada (a Latin american dessert similar to flan). The meal is served with wine or water. Camila: "It was delicious, nice to try something different, like the seaweed. I was impressed by how much you can do with the ingredients, and I learned a lot about the products from Chile’s coast."
Finally, you can relax with coffee or tea and some sweets while chatting with the hosts. “The welcome was very warm—it felt like we’d known Carolina and Nico for a long time. They shared stories and anecdotes from their travels around the world, which was fascinating”, concludes Camila.
Would you like to take part in this culinary experience yourself, or do you have any questions? Feel free to contact us at reservations@cascada.travel.
To help you get started, we give an answer to some questions from travelers: