Chilean food is not as popular as Peruvian cuisine. Case in point, I've never seen a Chilean restaurant in San Francisco. Even in the capital of Santiago, most of the choices I found online are Peruvian establishments.

What's really Chilean cuisine? 
My travel warrior buddy and I agreed that of all the meals we had in Chile, something was amiss - it needed a kick that we could not point out what. I'm unsure if this is due to their strong ties with Germany that has made their cooking a bit bland compared to its neighboring countries.

Fret not, though. There are many familiar and more exotic dishes to be had while in Chile.

1. Mote con Huesillos: This popular summer drink for the Chileans is made out of sweetened peaches and wheat that can be easily found in any bustling area in the capital.

Cheers!

Canned peaches made even sweeter.

Slurping our mote at Plaza de Armas.

2. Empanadas: Chilean empanadas are huge! It can be ordered as your entree for the day with your choice of meat, seafood or vegetarian and tons of cheese.

Unlike other empanadas that are made out of thick dough, Chilean empanadas are filled with stuffing and have a thin crust that is baked to crunchy perfection. A seafood empanada, for instance, is filled mostly with mussels, squid, fish, and cheese.

Seafood empanada as one of our lunch entrees.

3. Seafood soup: I tried different kinds of seafood soup while in Chile. I was disappointed that it didn't taste like the creamy seafood bisque that I had in Belgium. I finally got a unique soup that was filled with shellfish and tuna and had a distinct taste of clam juice.

Hearty seafood soup.

4. Congrio: It is a local white fish and not eel as incorrectly labeled at one of the largest establishments that we ate at the Mercado Central, which is one of the most overrated food markets I've ever been to.

Congrio, just like any other fish, can be cooked in a variety of ways- grilled, fried, or even as a ceviche.  Ceviche with corn grits is the winning combo.

Grilled white fish, congrio, mistakenly written as eel on the menu :(

Fried and breaded congrio. Simple but tasty!

6. Breads from all over Chile: I really love eating at restaurants that have a visual representation of what I'm eating. Besides the fact that it makes my life easier as a food blogger, I don't have to ask the wait staff multiple times to pronounce or spell the words for me. Thank you Peumayen Ancestral Food restaurant for introducing me to the variety of breads one can only find in Chile.

Can you match the breads to the next photo below?

Ready to take my pick. The green ones are the best!

7. Horse ham: You read that right! I am fond of horses so I was skeptical to try horse ham. Since I was up to trying something exotic other than the alpaca meat in Bolivia, I ordered a salad entree filled with horse ham, which looks and tastes similar to pastrami, from Peumayen Ancestral Food, an establishment that celebrates native Chilean cuisine. I squealed with delight when I discovered a salad that had horse ham, Chilean hazelnuts, and eucalyptus in one dish. It is as unique tasting as it sounds. Sweet, savory, and everything in between.

While on my way to Peumayen.

Salad with horse ham. Savory and sweet all at the same time.