I have to taste local flavors wherever I travel. So, I always ask the same question to the locals and guides whom I meet. “Give me the name of local dishes which I should try”. When I was in Atacama ‘Patasca’ was the only, must try dish, and everyone was recommending the restaurant called Las Delicias de Carmen. Pataska is a stewed dish, in which chewy large corn (known as Hominy corn in America), potato, pork and red pepper are cooked together....
Read MoreTierra Atacama
Chef Francisco Valencia is the executive chef at 5 star hotel, Tierra Atacama. Chef Valencia uses local ingredients and prepare dishes in a simple, light and delightful way. Some of the dishes which I loved are beet soup, wild bore steak, seafood soup, quinoa salad, pasta with mushroom sauce….. The hotel has a garden, in which vegetables and fruits are farmed organically. Bean, arugula, asparagus, beet, zucchini, peach, melon, …and more. Paola, Food and Wine...
Read MoreAtacama No. 2: Ricarica
Wherever I travel abroad I love to discover local medicinal greens and glasses. I asked Martin to make sure to show me if he spotted any of such greens or glasses on our expedition. On our way to Valle de la Luna Martin stopped the driver in the middle of hot dessert and let me out of the van. He pointed low small bushes and called it ‘ricarica’. Noticeably minty, rosemary-like flavor with a slight astringency and acidity exploded in my mouth, when I chewed it....
Read MoreNot Food but Valle de la Luna
Visiting Valle de la Luna reminded me of this hilarious conspiracy. The below is from WIKIPEDIA. “The Moon landing conspiracy theories claim that some or all elements of the Apollo program and the associated moon landings were hoaxes staged by NASA and members of the other organizations. Various groups and individuals have made such conspiracy claims since the mid-1970s. The most notable claim is that the six manned landings (1969-1972) were faked and that the twelve...
Read MoreFood Notes from Chile
The visit to Atacama, the driest hot salt dessert, and snow and glacier covered Patagonia in Chile, was an amazing experience. Here are some of the food related notes from this trip, which I want to share with you. I will post one after another in series. Atacama No. 1: Chanar and Algarrobo Look for Chanar (Geoffroea decorticans) and Algarrobo (Prosopis chilensis) trees in San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro de Atacama is a charming dessert village, which was founded in...
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