In Chile, there are dishes that carry the soul of the countryside, dishes that remind us of quiet afternoons, of family around a wooden table, of the land that feeds us. One of those dishes is cazuela—a hearty soup made with beef or chicken
I always say that every Chilean family has their own way of making empanadas de pino, and that is true. But for me, the way I learned from my own mamá in Valparaíso is the way I still do it today. It carries the smell of Sundays, the chatter of cousins running around, and the feeling that home is always close, even when life takes you far away.
So let me tell you how it goes, from the heart of a Chilean abuelita who has spent many afternoons with flour-dusted hands and a warm oven humming in the kitchen.
Every country seems to have a dish that feels like a warm hug, the kind of food you eat on a Sunday with family gathered around the table. In Chile, that dish is Pastel de Choclo—a golden corn and beef casserole that manages to be both sweet and savory at once.
I still remember my first taste of it in Santiago’s Central Valley. It came bubbling hot, baked in a small clay pot, the top a golden crust of sweet corn purée.
Every cuisine has a dish born out of resourcefulness, something that turns leftovers into pure magic. In Peru, that dish is Tacu Tacu—a crispy rice and bean patty, often topped with a fried egg, juicy steak, or even seafood. It’s hearty, humble, and rooted in the creativity of Afro-Peruvian cooks who transformed simple ingredients into something unforgettable.
If there’s one dish that could unite an entire country, it’s Pollo a la Brasa. Walk down a busy street in Lima or a quiet town in the Andes, and you’ll smell it before you see it: the smoky, garlicky, spice-filled aroma of chicken slowly roasting over glowing coals. It’s Peru’s most popular meal, beloved by families, travelers, and late-night diners alike.
Juane is a cornerstone of Amazonian cuisine in Peru: a seasoned rice-and-chicken preparation wrapped in aromatic leaves and steamed or boiled until compact, fragrant, and portable. Associated most strongly with Loreto and with the Catholic Feast of St. John (June 24), Juane combines indigenous ingredients and colonial influences into a festival dish that is both everyday food and ceremonial fare.
When I first arrived in Peru to stay with my abuelita, I thought I had already seen it all—the colorful chaos of Lima’s streets, the coastal breeze carrying the scent of ceviche, the mountains that looked like they were painted by the gods.
Causa Limeña is one of the most recognizable and beloved dishes in Peruvian cuisine. Colorful, versatile, and refreshing, it combines layers of seasoned potato puree with chicken, tuna, or seafood fillings, often finished with creamy sauces and fresh garnishes.
Arroz con Pollo, literally “rice with chicken,” is one of the most cherished comfort foods in Peru and across Latin America. It is a vibrant, flavorful dish that brings together tender chicken, aromatic rice, fresh herbs, and vegetables into a single pot.
Pachamanca (from Quechua pacha “earth” + manka “pot”) is one of the most emblematic communal foods of the Andean highlands. It is both a cooking technique and a ritual: meats, tubers and maize are cooked slowly with the heat of hot stones buried beneath earth,