The meat is fried in a pan—or a grill, depending on where you go—while the fries are fried in cooking oil. Generally, the same pan that was used to fry the meat is used to make two sunny side up eggs and a heap of fried onions that you place alongside the fries and meat.
Meat is probably the most popular by far. Most Chilean houses have quinchos, a nice place to barbecue for friends and family. My partner’s father loves his quincho, decorating it with little Star Wars signs and quotes declaring how well the grill works. Often, this is how the meat is cooked! If the meat is seafood, it is often from the coast of Chile!
When it comes to potatoes, Peruvians often claim that they were the home of the potato. However, lots of evidence in recent years reveal that the island of Chiloe in Chile may actually be the origin! It is even said that the native population of the Mapuche may have invented the french fry hundreds of years ago! There are about 250 different species of potatoes in Chile alone, and trust me, they are all very tasty.
Lastly, there is the garlic, called ajo in Spanish. There is a special variety of garlic found on the island of Chiloe known as the Chiloe black garlic. It is what it says on the tin! Imagine a clove a garlic, but it is black instead of white. Local garlic is not usually white, it is actually purple. There is also more garlic on Chiloe that is known to be as big as a large onion! All the garlic in Chile is known to be intensely rich and amazing to place in any dish for that little bit of a savory kick.
