What Chileans Eat: The Chilean National Diet/La Dieta Nacional Chilena

Meat is often served grilled, or asado, as in Argentina and covered in pebre, a condiment similar to Mexican salsa. Lamb, beef, and pork are the most common meats, chicken being considered inferior, though it too is consumed. The Traditional Diet of Chile, LifeSpot.com.

Chileans probably eat more seafood than any other Latin American country. New Latin cuisine: a taste of Chile

Many recipes are accompanied and enhanced by Chilean wine such as Curanto.  Gourmet Girl Magazine

Interesting quotations, though not especially useful in understanding the Chilean diet: pebre is not served “covering” grilled meat; lamb is the least common meat in Chile[1]; chicken is Chile’s most important source of animal protein[2]; Peruvians and Mexicans eat more seafood than Chileans[3]; and curanto is not a wine, but a clam-bake of shellfish, meats and potatoes.

But what do Chileans eat?  “Typical Chilean foods” like cazuela, pastel de choclo, humitas, and porotos granados (boiled dinner, corn pie, tamales, and shell beans with corn and pumpkin) are certainly popular, but are they what Chileans eat every day; major sources of calories and proteins and fats?

Clockwise from top left: cazuela, asado, humitas, locos mayo;  center, empanadas.

It’s not easy to find out, for Chile or for other countries. The major sources of information are dietary surveys, typically of some portion of the population (school children, the elderly, indigenous people, etc.); household expenditure surveys, showing the estimated percentage of household expenses on various food categories; and national food production and import/export data: production + imports – exports – waste = “consumption” (more or less).  Keep in mind that the mass of “facts” and figures you read here (or in other places on this topic) should always be preceded by “more or less,” it’s not rocket science.  [Note: For a less academic discussion of what Chileans eat, see Eating Chilean: Gastronomic Geography of Chile]


What Chileans eat 1:  Bread

Chileans eat more bread than citizens of any other country except Germany, an average of 208 kg. (458 lbs.) per household per year.[4] And families in the poorest 20% of the population eat even more, 228 kg. (502 lbs.)  Data from 1997-98 show that the average Santiago household spent 9% of its food expenditures on bread, and the poorest 60% of households spent more on bread than on any other single food, averaging 13%.[5]  Most of that bread, almost 97%, is bakery style “French bread” (marraquetas [photo] and hallullas) sold by the kg.; packaged loaf bread makes up only 3.4% of sales and whole wheat bread was bought by only 28% of households.[6]  In addition Chileans spent an average of 4% of their income on other wheat products, pasta, cakes, cookies and crackers, and about 1% on rice (no data for corn, oats, etc.)  Thus, bread and other cereal products provided 39% of Chile’s calories (down from 48% in 1961) and about 14% of their food expenditures.  For comparison, the contribution of grains to US diet is 24%[7]

Why so much bread?  It’s good; it’s (relatively) cheap at 700 to 1000 CLP/kg $.65 to $.90 lb.), and it’s very much a part of Chile’s food traditions.  Breakfast is bread, and perhaps ham or cheese; bread is usually served with almuerzo, “lunch” the largest meal of the day; onces “tea” eaten from 5:00 to 7:00 PM  is usually a sandwich on bread; and cena “supper” eaten at 9:00 or later usually includes bread.[8]  An adult man can easily eat 3 whole marraquetas a day, at about 430 calories each, totaling about 1300 calories; 45% of a reasonable caloric intake for a moderately active man.  (And for an excellent history of Chilean bread, see Criss Salizar's blog Urbatorium)

What Chileans eat 2: Sugar

According to FAO data[9], the second major food category in Chilean diet is sugar and other sweeteners, providing 16% of calories (USA 19%).  Sugar comprised an average of 1.3% of household food expenditures, an additional 7.1% went to carbonated beverages, and 1% went to powdered drink mixes for a total of approximately 8.5% for sweetened water (and a little flavoring).   Chilean soft drink consumption, estimated at 95 lt. per person per year in 2006[10] was still relatively low; US consumption was 216 lt. In 2002[11]

What Chileans eat 3: Meat, poultry and fish

Third after bread and sugar, Chileans eat meat, poultry and a little fish, together making up 13% of calories (USA 14%) and 19% of their food pesos in 1997. The most popular meat was beef; all 5 income groups spent from 8 to 10% of their food budget on beef.  Chicken is the second meat, accounting for almost 6% of expenditures in the poorest group and 3% in the most affluent.   Next are “cecinas,” cold cuts and sausages, usually pork, commonly eaten with bread for breakfast or onces.  The average household spent 3.3% of its food money on ceninas.  Fresh pork was next to last, representing on average only 1.1% of expenditures; and surpassed only fresh fish, at 0.8%.  Lamb, with consumption of less that .5 kg. per person per year in Santiago, didn’t make the chart.[12]

Meat consumption has changed since 1997, increasing from 65 to 81 kg. in 2008[13] and its composition has changed greatly, with beef declining to third place:

Domestic consumption of poultry meat grew another 11 percent in 2006 and became the most important source of animal protein in Chile, mainly as a result of the higher prices of beef during the same period of time, which resulted by a significant fall of beef imports. Per capita consumption of poultry meat in 2006 was 33.9 kilos, followed by pork with 22.5 kilos and beef with 22.0 kilos.[14]  (For more see Eating Chilean Beef )

Seafood consumption, has also declined from 19 kg per person per year in 1995 to 13 kg in 2003, and reportedly, 7 kg in 2010; concomitant with an increase from 86% to 90% of Chilean seafood exports.  By comparison Spain and Mexico average about 20 kg. seafood per capita.[15]  Chilean seafood is quite expensive, with the least expensive fish costing around 2,000 CLP per kg., ($1.80/lb) for whole fish, or about 600 CLP ($1.20) for a modest serving.  An equivalent serving of ground beef costs around 400 CLP ($.80) and chicken and pork are less.   (For more see Eating Chilean Fish)


What Chileans eat 4: Fats and oils

Vegetable oils and animal fats added to foods provided 12% of Chilean calories in 1997. This is actually a relatively low percentage; comparable figure for the US is 22%. And total fat consumption (including fats naturally occurring in foods) is estimated to be at 78 grams per day, 30% of calories—the percentage recommended by the American heart Association. But fat intake rises with income, and this data is from 1997 when Chilean per capita income was only about 60% of what it is today.[16]

Chilean households spent, on average, 1.7% of their food expenditure on vegetable oil; animal fats and margarine expenditures were too low (<.8%) to be included in the data.  Chileans use vegetable oils in cooking, and to season salads and boiled potatoes. Fried potatoes are very common on restaurant menus; and one survey reported that 26% of Chileans ate two or more high fat foods (mayonnaise, cheese, fried potatoes or other fried foods) per week.[17]   Mayonnaise is very popular; Chileans are said to be the greatest mayonnaise consumers per capita in Latin America and third in the world.

The most common oils in Chile are soy bean and sunflower oil.  Chilean olive oil production is only about 1/10 of a lt. per person per year.[18]

What Chileans eat 4: Fruits and vegetables, potatoes and legumes.

Late summer fruits and vegetables from the feria, farmers market.

Together these three food categories contributed 11% of Chileans calories in 1997 (fruits and vegetables, 5%; tubers and roots, 4%; and legumes, 2%). (Only potatoes (1.8% of expenditures) and tomatoes (1.5%) were included in the expenses chart, of items 0.8% of food expenses or more.)

Data on fruit and vegetable consumption is relatively difficult to find, but a 1997 survey of 871 adults in Santiago found fruit consumption to average 83 gm per day (30 kg. per year) for men  and 140 gm (51 kg./year) for women.  Vegetable consumption was 190 gm (69 kg/yr) in men and 178 gm. (65 kg/yr in women.  Slightly fewer that 50% of men and women consumed recommended quantities of vegetables and only about 30% consumed as much fruit as recommended in dietary guidelines.[19]

The most popular annual frits and vegetables in terms of area planted are corn, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, squash, artichoke, melons, carrots, green peas, watermelons, green beans, shell beans, and asparagus, all of which were planted on over 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) in 2007.  The most popular perennial fruits were table grapes, avocados, apples, plums, peaches, olives, walnuts, blueberries, kiwifruit, oranges, lemons, raspberries, almonds and pears, each of which was planted on 5,000 hectares or more.[20]

But these data can be misleading; Chile exported 65% of its fruits and vegetables in 2003 (up from 40% in 1995; resulting in a 22% decrease in domestic fruit availability in spite of increased production[21]), so production choices reflect export preferences rather than simply local ones.  Never the less, all the fruits and vegetables above are regularly available in local farmers markets, most at very reasonable prices; blueberries and raspberries show up in small quantities and are expensive. 

Potato consumption in Chile averages 55 kg per person per year[22], considerably higher than the Latin American and world averages (21 kg. and 31 kg. respectively), but lower than N. American (60 kg.) and European averages (88 kg.)[23]  A choice of puré (mashed potatoes), plain boiled potatoes, or French fries, is usually available with any main course in Chilean restaurants.

Legumes, primarily beans and lentils, are very much a part of Chile’s culinary tradition, as reflected in the popular saying “more Chilean than beans.” (See  Eating Chilean Beans: Porotos Granados and others)  In 1935 the Chilean journal Social Service published “A study of the situation of one family” which included estimates of monthly expenditures, including “10 kg of beans.”[24]   But they now provide only a very small proportion of Chile’s calories, 2% in 1998. In 2006 annual consumption of dry beans was 1.5 kg per capita, down from 4 kg. 15 years earlier.[25]  In 1997 household expenses for beans were down 45% from 10 years earlier, and were not listed in the food expenditures survey report, presumably because they were below the cutoff at 0.8%

What Chileans eat 5: Dairy products and eggs

2001 FAO data show that 7% of Chilean calorie consumption came from dairy products and eggs (USA 10.5%).  On the expenditures side, milk accounted for 2.2% of 1997 food budgets; cheese, 2.6%; powdered milk, 1.4%; yogurt, 1.2%; and eggs, 1.2%, for a total of 8.6%. 

Chile’s milk consumption in 2009 was 128 lt. per person; the World Health Organization recommends 160 lt.[26]  (USA 2003, 84 lt. down for a 1945 peak of 179 lt.[27]) It is available in all types, from whole to non-fat and flavored, and most milk is ultra pasteurized, so it needs no refrigeration if unopened and has a shelf life of 6 months. Prices average around 500 CPL/lt. ($.90 qt.). Cheese consumption was 5 kg in 2007[28] (USA 2003, 13.6 kg [29]).  Households surveyed in 1997 spent 2.4 to 3% of their food pesos on cheese, though for the lowest quintile, this was only 2,700 CLP, less that half the 6,000 CLP spent by the most affluent quintile. Common cheese (not processed) costs about 4,000 CLP/kg. ($3.60/lb.)

Fried fish a lo pobre.  Photo Peterme.com

And Chileans ate 175 eggs per year in 2007, up 6% in the last 10 years[30] (USA, estimate 259, 2007[31]).  Eggs are currently around 1,400 CLP/dozen ($2.80).

Eggs are not a part of the Chilean breakfast, but they are popular at other meals.  Lomo a lo pobre (literally “steak, poor man’s style”, i.e. topped with fired eggs) is on virtually every menu and almost anything can be ordered a lo pobre, (including pizza).  Tortillas, omelets with eggs and potatoes or vegetables are also common almuerzo and supper dishes.

What Chileans eat away from home.

Photo: Chile Hoy

 “70% of TV ads for children are for fast food”

The 1997 food expense survey (Crovetto M. & M. Mirta. 2002) also asked about meals eaten away from home.  The most common was almuerzo, eaten between 1:00 and 3:00 and traditionally the main meal of the day.  The average household surveyed spent 10% of their food pesos on these meals, increasing regularly form 3% in the poorest 20% of households to 17.7% in the most affluent.


In the two lowest quintiles, lunches and meals away from home would be meat-filled empanadas; a completo Italiano [hotdog with mayonnaise, avocado and tomato]; humitas [tamales]; sopapillas [fried breads]; chicken with French fries; or a fast food combo with cheese, mayonnaise, catsup and a carbonated drink.  For the third quintile, a light lunch would be an empanada and tea; a completo and tea; chicken with French fries; or a cheeseburger, drink and French fries.  For the fourth quintile it would be chicken with French fires, Chinese food, pizza, or a hamburger with avocado and tomato, and a drink.  The most affluent quintile would have a menú ejecutiva [“executive lunch,” a set menu of first and main course, dessert and often a drink, beer, wine or bottled water], lomo a lo pobre, chicken and French fires, pizza, or a vegetarian plate.  All these accompanied by tea, coffee, carbonated beverage or juice, and in the case of the sandwiches and French fries with mayonnaise or catsup. (Unless otherwise noted, all translations are mine)


The consequences

From Chile's Merco Press:

Chile is among the top five nations leading the world in childhood obesity, according to new statistics released by Junaeb, a Chilean organization focused on children and education.

Approximately 18% of Chilean students are obese, compared to the current rate of 16% in the U.S. That Chile has surpassed even the U.S. in levels of childhood obesity particularly worries health experts, given that the U.S. is generally said to be suffering from a national "obesity epidemic."  This announcement follows a report this week by Nutrimóvil of Nestlé that Santiago residents exceed a healthy body mass index by an average of three points. The study attributes Santiago's obesity problem in part to the sedentary lifestyle many residents lead.

An astounding 91.2% of Chileans said they never participated in any form of physical activity, according to the 2000 National Health Survey, released in 2003. The study also found that 61.3% of Chileans are overweight.[32]

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addendum

A Power Point summary of The Chilean National Food Consumption Survey of 2010-2011 (Encuesta Nacional de Consumo de Alimentos 2010-2011)  Aafter reading this post you won't find too many surprises, but it's good to have more recent data.  


Some highlights:  

Men are reported to average  2210 calories per day and 73 grams of protein while women average 1561 calories and 52 grams of protein.

People eating over 110% of their recommended caloric intake include:

 16% of urban and 28% of rural people,
 12% of people in the top socioeconomic category,
  31% of those in the lowest socioeconomic categor,
  29% of children 4 to 5 years old,
  27% of girls 14 to 18,
  23% of women 19 to 30,
  6% of men 19 to 30, and 
 25% of men 31 to 50.

Chilean meal patters are:

      breakfast, between 8:00 and 10:00, eaten by 90% of the population
      almuerzo ("lunch," the main meal of the day) between 1:00 and 2:00 pm,    eaten by 96% 
       onces  ("tea") at 6:00 to 8:00 pm eaten by 82% of the population  
       Cena  ("supper") between 8:00 and 10:00, is eaten by only 30% of the population, but another 31% have an evening "snack" (colación)  at that hour.

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[1] Avilés, Hardy. 2002 Cordero todo el año. Campo Sureño, on line at http://www.australtemuco.cl/site/apg/campo/pags/20031213233217.html
[2] Chile Poultry Livestock and Products Production 2008, The Poultry Site, on line at
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/957/chile-poultry-livestock-and-products-production-2008
[3] Jordan, Jane. 2007. Aquaculture hot spots: China and Latin America. The Fish Site. On line at http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/351/aquaculture-hot-spots-china-and-latin-america
[4] Bread consumption in Chile, Latin Panel. On line at http://www.latinpanel.com.br/article/static/677?GlobalSectionIDOverride=3&Pais=Chile [link broken, accessed 10/22/2009]
[5] This and other % of food expenditure data is from Crovetto M., M. Mirta. 2002. Cambios en la estructura alimentaria y consumo aparente de nutrientes de los hogares del gran santiago 1988-1997. Rev. Chil. Nutr. [online]. 2002, vol.29, n.1 pp. 24-32 . Available from: <http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=s0717-75182002000100004&lng=en&nrm=iso>.
[6] Bread consumption in Chile, op. cit.
[7] This and other figures for caloric contribution to US food supply are from “U.S. food supply: Nutrients contributed from major food groups, per capita per day, 1970 and 20001.” Nutrient Availability Spreadsheet. On line at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption/NutrientAvailIndex.htm
[8] While some families do eat 4 meals per day, it is common to combine onces and cena, eating some reheated leftovers from almuerzo along with bread and cold cuts, or to eat one or the other.
[9] Perfiles Nutricionales por Países – CHILE Octubre 2001, FAO Rome. On Line at ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/nutrition/ncp/chimap.pdf
[10]Crece el Consumo de Bebidas y Aguas. Chile.com. On line at http://www.chile.com/tpl/articulo/detalle/ver.tpl?cod_articulo=82242
[11] Food Statistics. Soft drink consumption (most recent) by country. Nation Master.com. On line at http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_sof_dri_con-food-soft-drink-consumption
[12] Avilés, Hardy 202 op. cit.
[13] Chilenos consumen aún seis veces más carne pese a avance de pescados y mariscos. 13/08/09 Estrategia Online Chile. On line at http://www.icex.es/icex/cda/controller/pageOfecomes/0,5310,5280449_5282927_5284940_4243009_CL,00.html
[14] Chile poultry livestock… op. cit.
[15] Chilenos consumen… op. cit. ; ¡Vengüenza nacional! Chilenos sólo comen 7 kilos de pescados al año. La Cuarta.  Miércoles 5 de Mayo de 2010.  On line at http://www.cuarta.cl/noticias/cronica/2010/03/63-74125-9-chilenos-solo-comen-7-kilos-de-pescados-al-ano.shtml

 [16] Chile GDP - per capita (PPP) Index Mundi On line at http://www.indexmundi.com/chile/gdp_per_capita_(ppp).html
[17] Mendoza V., Carolina, Anna Christina Pinheiro F. Hugo Amigo C. 2007. Evolución de la situación alimentaria en Chile. Revista Chilena de Nutrición, marzo, año/vol. 34, número 001 On line at http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0717-75182007000100007&script=sci_arttext
[18] Análisis de Aceites de Origen Vegetal. 2008 On line at http://www.hannachile.com/noticias-articulos-y-consejos/consejo-del-mes/183-analisis-aceites-origen-vegetal
[19] Olivares C., Sonia & Nelly Bustos Z. 2006. Consumo de verduras y frutas en grupos específicos de consumidores chilenos: elementos a considerar en su promoción. Rev Chil Nutr Vol. 33, Suplemento Nº1. On line at http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-75182006000300007&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es
[20] Chilean Agriculture Overview, 2009. Agarian Policies and Studies Bureau, Ministerio de Agricultura. On line at www.odepa.gob.cl/odepaweb/publicaciones/Panorama2009.pdf
[21] Mendoza V. op. cit.
[22] La papa en Chile. 2007. CVTA. On line at http://www.cvta.cl/papas.asp
[23] Potato world, International Year of the Potato 2008. on line at http://www.potato2008.org/en/world/index.html
[24] Carreño, B. 1935 Estudio de la situación de una familia. Servicio Social 9(4):309-316. On line at http://www.memoriachilena.cl/temas/documento_detalle.asp?id=MC0016107
[25] Presentarán nuevas variedades de porotos en Día de Campo (viernes 27 de enero). Portal INIA, Quilamapu. On line at. http://www.inia.cl/link.cgi/Quilamapu/Noticias/709
[26] Gasto de chilenos en lácteos bajó 10,3% en 2009. 2010. Chile Potencia Alimentaria. On line at http://www.chilepotenciaalimentaria.cl/content/view/720568/Gasto-de-chilenos-en-lacteos-bajo-10-3-en-2009.html
[27] Graph: “Per Capita Consumption of Fluid Milk 1980-2003” On line at http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/foodmarketingstudy/521602-00009.pdf
[28] Una mirada diferente al consumo de lácteos en Chile. 2008. On line at http://www.seminariochilepotenciaalimentaria.cl/pdf_2008/2008_zamora.pdf
[29] Trends in U.S. Per Capita Consumption of Dairy Products, 1909 to 2001. 2003. Amber Waves (USDA) On line at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Amberwaves/June03/DataFeature/
[30] Consumo de Productos Avícolas en Latinoamérica. On line at http://www.industriaavicola-digital.com/industriaavicola/200712/?pg=29
[31] Farm Animal Statistics: Dairy and Egg Consumption. Factory Farming., 2006. On line at http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/pubs/stats_dairy_egg.html
[32]Childhood obesity controversy in Chile. Merco Press, Thursday, July 6th 2006. On line at http://en.mercopress.com/2006/07/06/childhood-obesity-controversy-in-chile
 

Eating Jibia: Chilean Humbolt Squid

I like fish.  I like to eat them, of course, but I also like catch them, cook them, look at them, and buy them, so fish markets are among my favorite places. And Chilean fish markets are especially interesting since artisanal fishermen bring in a lot of species that never show up in the supermarket.  In the photo below are (l to r) reineta, congrio, merluza, pejegallo (back), blanquillo (front), cabrilla, and jurel.  Hanging in the back are more congrio.[1] In front are unidentifiable filets (at least by me) and, at the bottom right are brilliantly white pieces of jibia (Humbodt squid, Dosidecus gigus).

I don’t know when I first ate squid; probably the first time I saw it on a menu.  I’ve always been one of those people whose reaction to an unfamiliar menu item is to order it, and creepy-crawly things are no exception.  Naturally when jibia showed up in the fish case of my local supermarket a couple of years ago, I bought a piece.  It was only 500-600 pesos a kg. ($.50/lb.- it's double that now) with no waste—about a quarter the price of small whole squid, so it occurred to me that it might be a little odd in some way. 

“How do you cook it?”

“Boil it for 20 minutes, then cut it up and use it in chowder (paila marina), or soup, or anything.”

When I came home I looked it up on the internet and eventually discovered that its English name was Humboldt squid.  Wikipedia said: 

Humboldt Squid are carnivorous marine invertebrates that move in shoals of up to 1200 individuals. They swim at speeds of up to 24 kilometers per hour (15 mph/13 kn) propelled by water ejected through a hyponome (siphon) and by two diamond shaped fins. Their tentacles bear suckers lined with sharp teeth with which they grasp prey and drag it towards a large, sharp beak.  They are most commonly found at depths of 200–700 meters (660–2,300 ft), from Tierra del Fuego to California. Recent findings suggest the range of this species is spreading north into the waters of  Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. They are known to be very aggressive and attack divers that venture too close.

Humboldt squid that washed ashore in Pebble Beach, California.

 Photo: The Carmel Pine Cone, October 10, 2003

Wikipedia didn’t mention whether they were edible. A squid sport fishing site’s forum, Squidfish, was full of questions about how to cook it.

I just came back loaded down with squid. Great fishing out of Bodega Bay.  Now, a question for the forum - I had my first steak tonight - egg wash and seasoned flour. Sautéed it in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Lemon juice on top just before serving. It was horrible. Way too salty. I soaked the tubes in fresh water overnight as I was told to do. Both my wife and I, plus the cats, couldn't eat the steaks.

The issue of how to cook Humboldt squid arose because sometime around 2002 they started appearing and being caught in large numbers by sport fishermen off the California coast, north of their previous range, and by 2004 they were in Alaskan wasters. 

A little squidology

Squid are mollusks, like clams, oysters, snails and their closer relatives, octopi and cuttlefish. There are around 300 species, most of which are small, under 24 inches, but several species are larger, including the Colossal Squid that can grow up to 46 feet long and weigh over 1000 lbs.  They are carnivores, feeding on fish, crabs and other mollusks, and are smart (Humblodt squid are reported to hunt cooperatively) with relatively large brains for their body size.   Squid are popular in the cuisines throughout Asia and the Mediterranean, and under their Italian name, “calamari,” have become popular in the English speaking world as well.

As explained below, Humboldt squid, also known as “jumbo flying squid,” ”jibia [2]” (Chile & Peru), “pota” (Spain), and “Diablo rojo” (red devil) by Mexican fishermen, traditionally ranged from the coast of southern Chile to Mexico, and west to Hawaii.  The dramatic increase in abundance, both within and outside of its normal range is not unprecedented.  Their fast growth, early maturity, short life (1 to 2 years) and migratory ability lead to dramatic fluctuations in population. Off the Chilean coast they were highly abundant between 1835 and 1842[3], when they were first collected and identified by the scientific world.

[Click on picture for clearer view]

Source:  Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, Canada May 11, 2008 

Other periods of abundance seem to have been in 1960 to 1972, and again in 1992-1994 but the present peak, with a Chilean catch of 248,000 metric tons in 2005, seems to be the highest on record.[4]

One of the interesting characteristics of Humboldt and other large squid species is that they maintain neutral buoyancy in a way different from the gas-filled swim bladder used by fish:  an ammonium chloride solution, which is lighter than sea water, circulates through their bodies. Unfortunately, this gives the flesh a salty, sour, bitter “horrible” taste, as the California fisherman discovered.

But the Chileans have discovered a remedy.  In commercial processing for frozen squid steaks the filleted, mechanically tenderized flesh “is left in soaking in a tub that contains a solution of lactic acid and citric acid to 1 % p/p for 3 hours approximately and with a sufficient quantity of ice to keep the temperature low,” washed again and then “is left again in the second soaking, but this time in a solution that contains a brine to 6 % in a time of 3 hours.”[5]   

Back to the kitchen

Fortunately for the home cook without a chemistry degree, there is another method.  The filet of jibia, which is simply a section of the body with the skin removed, is covered on each side by a thin membrane, visible in the lower part of the photo below.

Remove the membrane and simmer the filet in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain.  This eliminates 90% of so of the odd taste; the rest can be eliminated (or at least hidden) by selecting a recipe that provides its own strong flavors.

My current favorite Humboldt squid recipe is in Mexican style ceviche:

The result: Ceviche de jibia, Humboldt squid.

Other good choices (simmered in salt water first) are:  battered and fried as an appetizer; with other seafood in marinara sauce (or with olive oil, white wine, garlic, etc.) over pasta; in paella; bouillabaisse; etc. 

And here’s a Chilean recipe:

Chupe de Jibia

2 lbs.  jibia 

2 marraquetas (Chilean breads, or use 3-4 slices of home style white bread)
milk

1 onion
oil or lard

merquén (ground chili) and cumin to taste
grated cheese

Simmer the jibia for 20 minutes with salt and a bay leaf, then grind or mince and reserve.  Soak the bread in milk, squeeze out excess, and reserve.  Sauté the onion with the merquén and cumin, add the jibia, the bread and a glass of milk and simmer 10 minutes.  Put the mixtures in individual oven proof dishes (ideally pialas de greda) or a casserole, cover abundantly with cheese and brown in a hot oven, and serve with a sauvignon blanc, preferably from the central valley.

*********

And how is it nutritionally?  Good, similar to fish like cod: low in fat and calories, with moderate amounts of protein, much like ordinary squid.  One of the processors of frozen jibia, Alibaba.com, provides the following data for their product:  moisture, 81.1%, fat, 1.1%; protein, 16.0%, ash, 1.7% and calories 101 per 100 g.

Will you like it?  I think so.  I’ve served the ceviche to guests at buffets several times; they always empty the bowl.  

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[1] Cortés Matamala, Nelson.   Catalogo ilustrado de las principales especies de interés comercial para la zona centro sur.  Peces De Chile.  On line at http://ictiochile.cl.tripod.com/index.html, and  Especies  encontradas en el norte de Chile, Stella Maris. On line at http://www.stellamaris.cl/HTML/especies.html

[2] In Spain Jibia refers to a cuttlefish and many of the Spanish language jibia recipes on the internet are for this mollusk, and not for D. gigas.

[3] Chong, Javier, et al. 2005. Fishery biology parameters of jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas

(Orbigny, 1835) (Cephalopoda: ommastrephidae), in central Chile coast (29ºs-40ºs) during 1993-1994. Gayana (Concepción) 69(2): 319-328, On line at http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0717-65382005000200012&script=sci_abstract&tlng=en

[4] Zúñiga1,MJ,  LA Cubillos1 & C Ibáñez. 2008.   A regular pattern of periodicity in the monthly catch of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) along the Chilean coast (2002–2005). Ciencias Marinas (2008), 34(1): 91–99.  On line at http://www.ieb-chile.cl/publications/pdf/Zuniga%20et%20al%20(2008)%20Ciencias%20Marinas.pdf

[5] Technical process of giant squid steak. Alibaba.com. On line at http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/103271400/Giant_Squid_Steak.html

Seaweed: Cochayuyo and Luche

There are many reasons why I recommend sea vegetables as part of my healing programs -- weight loss, cellulite control, detoxification, beautiful hair and skin, and more. Sea vegetables can transform your health! I believe that when we eat sea vegetables, and when we take seaweed baths, we are tapping into the ancestral and restorative source of all life -- the ocean. Include sea vegetables into your diet every day and you’ll see a difference. I do! Sea plants -- gifts from the sea!  Dr. Linda Page, Healthy Healing.com

Just because they are darlings of the food-quack set (note that Dr. Linda holds degrees in Naturopathy and Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health![1]) there is no reason to reject seaweeds out of hand.  Chileans have been eating them for 14,000 years (see Eating Paleo-Chilean:  Food at Monte Verde); and they have been consumed since prehistoric times in China, Japan and Korea, and along the NW coast of Europe in Norway, Ireland, France, as well as in Iceland, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.[2]

Here in Chile two types are common, cochayuyo, and luchi (in bags).

Cochayuyo, bull kelp (Durvillaea antarctica), is the dominant seaweed species in southern Chile and New Zealand.  It appears in the Monte Verde archeological site in southern Chile (along with 8 other seaweed species) dating to approximately 14,000 years ago.[3]  The Mapuche, the indigenous people of south central Chile, were making extensive use of it when the Spanish arrived, calling it collofe; cochayuyo is from the Quechua, meaning “seaweed.”

The Spanish adopted it early.  Eugenio Pereira Salas, in his classic Notes for the History of Chilean Cuisine, quotes Spanish conquistador Cortéz Ojea:  On April 15, 1558, the Indians

…began to bring some wild herbs that grow on the sea shores and are like turnips or snakes, which we stewed in this manner:  We roasted the hard stems, like fat radishes, in the ashes to make them more tender and then we put them on to boil in small pieces like fingers, five or six hours; we added flour and mashed them well, then returned them to the pots and cooked them an hour with limpets and shellfish. The leaves we mixed with flour and we made bread, that is tortillas; they had 2/3 flour and one third herb, and some had as much herb as flour.[4]

Fortunately, Cortéz Ojea’s recipe did not become a part of Chilean Creole cuisine, but Cochayuyo did, in dozens of Creole dishes such as [click for English recipes]: charquican de cochayuyo (cachayuyo hash), pastel de cochayuyo (cahayuyo pie),empanadas de cochayuyo, cazuela de corero con cachayuyo (lamb pot-au-feu with cochayuyo), etc. 

The basic preparation methods involve soaking over night and/or boiling for 20 minutes or so in water with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice, then scraping the fronds (which may have a soft coating), cutting into bite sized pieces and sautéing or simmering with other ingredients: beans, potatoes and onions, etc.  Salads are even simpler:  cut prepared cochayuyo into bite sized pieces, add minced onion and cilantro (and other vegetables to taste) and dress with oil and lemon juice.

Nutritionally cochayuyo is quite remarkable; even if you don’t share Dr. Page’s claim that eating it is “tapping into the ancestral and restorative source of all life.” It is practically fat free, low in calories and high in protein (about ¼ the calories and the same amount of protein as 100 gm. wheat), and has over 100% of the US Recommended Daily Allowances for fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, iodine, and (unfortunately) sodium.

 Sources:  Values, and % USRDA

How does it taste?  Bland, salty, perhaps a little smoky; not at all strong or pungent. The texture is a bit elastic, chewy. Dozens of Spanish-language websites have copied each other saying it has an “intense flavor of the sea,” but frankly, it doesn’t have an intense flavor of anything; perhaps that’s why it combines with so many foods. 

Why haven’t you eaten it? Well, except in the occasional mariscada (dish of mixed shellfish) it is unlikely to be served in Chilean restaurants or middle class homes.  Like many other traditional Chilean foods (chilies, garlic, lamb) it is associated with poor, rural, and even worse, indigenous Chileans.  In her PhD dissertation, Identities, Racial Mixing and Social Differences in Osorno, Chile: Readings from the Anthropology of Food, Chilean anthropologist Sonia Monecino Aguirre argues that:

This is what has occurred with luche and cochayuyo among the middle and upper classes; they are an adult feminine taste rejected by children and youths, as well as adult men.  We have encountered cases where women “clandestinely” with their employees, or even alone, prepare dishes of cochayuyo that only they eat, preparing another dish for the rest.  …..Cochayuyo is an important social marker associated with poverty, and in the past, as a vicarious substitute for meat, thus it has negative symbolism among the social scale of foods.[5] 

More recipes?  Here’s a non-traditional one I found in a vegetarian blog, Cousiñas de Ro. from Barcelona.  I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds interesting.  Let me know what you think.

Cochayuyo Paté with Reduction of Balsamic Vinegar

40 gm. Cochayuyo, dry weight

60 gm. Walnuts

2 generous tablespoons olive oil

A squeeze of lemon juice

2 heaping tablespoons of brewer’s yeast [if you have it]

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons onion

2 tablespoons parsley

A pinch of cayenne

A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar reduction

Soak the cochayuyo over night.  Drain and blend with the other ingredients.  Add water if too dry.  Top with additional balsamic vinegar reduction.

********

Luche (lower right and center) with dried shellfish, Angelmó, Puerto Montt

Luche, sea lettuce, is the other popular Chilean alga.  It is often a mix of two similar species, Porphyra columbina and Ulva rigida, harvested together along rocky Chilean shores.   It is usually sold dried, pressed into “breads” as in the photo above, or sold loose, as below.

 20 gm. luche

Other species of Porphyra are harvested in Japan where it is known as nori – and used to wrap sushi – and in Ireland and Wales, where it is called laver, and made into laver bread, a traditional Welsh delicacy.

Luche is prepared by soaking in water (3-4 hours if cold, 20-30 minutes if hot), or by grinding into flakes in a food processor of blender.  Like cochayuyo, it is rich in fiber, minerals (including salt), and protein, as well as Vitamin C.[6]

 Luche is eaten mainly in the Chilean south, where it is popular among rural people and fishing families, Mapuche and mestizo.  It is made into filling for empanadas, used in charquican, sautéed with potatoes and onions, prepared as a budin (with bread, milk, eggs and cheese), and added to salads, soups and stews; and in a classic southern dish, lamb cazuela with luche.  It can also be added to any soup, risotto, sauce or sauté, and the dry flakes can be sprinkled over rice, pasta, or other foods as an herbal salt substitute.

Soaked (below) and flaked luche 

It is also common on Chilean Chinese restaurant menus, as a stir-fry “con algas.”  The photo to the right is “Five-flavors pork con algas” from one of Santiago’s best known (and most oddly named) Chinese Restaurants, El Placio Danubio Azul.

**********

In the prize winning recipe below Chilean Chef Miriam Andrea Yunge Rojas has adapted the “genuinely Chiloe dish …that has been transmitted verbally and visually across the generations.”  

Cazuela de Cordero Chilote y Luche

(Pot-au-fue of Chiloe Lamb and Luche)

8 small lamb chops [or better, shoulder with bones-JS]

4 native Chiloe potatoes

50 gm. dry luche

1 tablespoon garlic paste with oregano [or garlic + oregano]

1 Teaspoon condimentos marinos

Salt, pepper, merkén, and Chilean pepper[7] to taste

1 generous tablespoon lard

Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, oregano, etc.)

1 shallot or ¼ onion

Soak the luche in water for at least 4 hours in cold water to cover, then wash well eliminating any sand. Sear the chops in the lard in a hot skillet, add the shallot or onion, garlic paste, and seasonings and sauté until browned.  Add 1 ½ quarts of water or broth and simmer until the meat is tender.  Add the luche and simmer another 30 minutes, then add the potatoes for 10 minutes, or until done. Check seasoning and serve in bowls, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

**********

Another Nuevo Chileno dish, this one by Chef Luis Cruzat of the Restaurant Latin Grill, combines luche with quinoa, merkén, and Patagonian lamb.

Chuleta de Cordero al Merkén con Quínoa y Luche

(Lamb Chops al Merkén with Quinoa and Luche)

4 Lamb Chops
1 cup Quinoa
30 gm luche soaked and boiled 20 mintes

1 teaspoon merkén
1 tomato
cilantro
rosemary

garlic
reduction--meat stock & wine (Glace viande)
salt & pepper

Wash well and cook the quinoa in 2 cups salted water, as you would cook rice. While it is cooking, coarsely chop the luche and cut the tomato in cubes. Season with salt, pepper, merkén and cilantro.

Season the chops with salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic, and sear in a skillet with a little olive oil. Remove to a hot over and and roast for 5 to 10 minutes.

Drizzle the plate with the reduced stock, and serve the chops with the quinoa.

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Or, for something simple Papas con Luche, Potatoes with Luche:  Soak a good handful of luche in water for 2 or 3 hours (or in hot water for 20 minutes) wash and drain thoroughly.  Sauté in oil or lard (or bacon grease!) with a medium onion, garlic, and a coarsely grated carrot.  Season with oregano, cumin, chili, and serve over boiled potatoes.  The taste is mild and a little smoky.

[1] Clayton College of Natural Health is the subject of “Clayton College of Natural Health: Be Wary of the School and Its Graduates” by Stephen Barrett, M.D. on line at

 http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/Nonrecorg/clayton.html

[2] Edible seaweed, Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia, on line at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_seaweed

[3] Monte Verde: Seaweed, Food, Medicine, and the Peopling of South America. Tom D. Dillehay, et al. Science 320, 784. May 9, 2008

[4] Pereira Salas, Eugenio.  1977. Apuntes para la historia de la cocina chilena.  Santiago : Universitaria.  p. 23 on line athttp://www.memoriachilena.cl/temas/documentodetalle.asp?id=MC0006512

[5] Montecino Aguirre, Sonia. 2006. Identidades, mestizajes y diferencias sociales en

Osorno, Chile. Lecturas desde la Antropología de la Alimentación”. Tesis Doctoral,

Publicación Electrónica de la Universidad de Leiden, Holanda.  p. 65 (notes)
[6] Fajardo MA, Alvarez F, Pucci OH, Martín de Portela ML. 1998.  Contents of various nutrients, minerals and seasonal fluctuations in Porphyra columbina, an edible marine algae from the Argentine Patagonian coast. Archivos Latinoameridcanos de Nutricion Nutr.  Sep;48(3):260-4.  On line at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9951542 and El Alga Nory. Alimentafion Sana.  on line at http://www.alimentacion-sana.com.ar/Portal%20nuevo/compresano/plantillas/algas06.htm

[7] Seeds of canelo, Drimys winteri