Sure, going to a supermarket might not sound like the most exciting thing to do while you’re on vacation in Chile…after all, nobody likes to go grocery shopping.  But, believe it or not, you can learn a lot about a country’s culture by checking out where they shop.  After all, we are what we eat

In Chile there are two main supermarket chains that are everywhere- Jumbo and Lider.  I like Jumbo over Lider because Jumbo has more variety, but Lider is cheaper.  There are also several different smaller chains.  Off the top of my head I can think of Tottus, Santa Isabel, Montserrat, Unimarc and Economax. 

If you can find a Jumbo, go!  It’s worth it, I promise.  It’s the Chilean’s answer to Super Target and Walmart!

Here are some products you might want to try that are common in Chile and not so common in the USA.

Dulce de membrillo: Wordreference tells me that membrillo means Quince tree.  Too bad I don’t know what that is in English!  Anyways, I’ll just describe it to you as I have experienced it.  Dulce de Membrillo is something you spread on to rolls and bread as if it were a jelly.  It has a slightly sweet taste to it and its texture is more like jelly than jam.  It’s common as a breakfast food.

Quesillo:  This is a kind of spongy cheese.  It’s sold in little white blocks, and it has a very smooth, light flavor.

Whole artichokes:  Those of you who are more worldly than I am, have probably had whole artichokes.  But the first time I ever tried this delightful vegetable was when I arrived in Chile.  The best way to prepare them is to boil them for about 10 minutes then dip the leaves in a mixture of 1 part olive oil, 3 parts lemon juice.  Don’t be scared by their spiky, dangerous looking appearance…they’re delicious and fun to eat!

Wines:  Winos, RUN, do not walk to your nearest wine section at your nearest grocery store.  Wine in Chile is cheap and abundant!  Selections at big grocery stores can be overwhelming but don’t worry, TravelChile blog will help you out   First of all, Chile is known for it’s red wine, that’s what they do best.  Amongst the red wine, Carmenere is the type of wine most people identify with this country.  I personally, do not love it, I prefer their Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons.  Some of my favorites are Casillero del Diablo from Concha y Toro Vineyards and anything from Misiones de Rengo Vineyards.  Don’t take my word for it though, at $3-6 USD a bottle you can afford to try out lots of different kinds!

Pisco: Pisco is the national liquor of Chile.  It’s yummy and lethal all at the same time.  Mix it with Coke for a “piscola,” to try the drink that is number one on the menu here at any good party.  But be warned, it’s a strong liquor and in Chile they tend to serve drinks up to six times stronger than what we are used to in the US.  Think of a Rum and Coke at your favorite bar in the US.  It usually consists of approximately one shot glass of rum and the rest of your drink is Coke.  In Chile that ratio is usually opposite.  Often times you will be served a glass filled with only ice and rum, or your liquor of choice, leaving less than an inch of space at the top.  Your Coke will be served on the side.  Good luck.  Popular brands of Pisco include the always cheap Capel,  Alto del Carmen and my personal favorite, Mistral (it’s more expensive but you’ll have less of a hangover the day after…bet they didn’t tell you that in the guide books!).  You will notice a small number on the labels of any of these brands, 35, 40, or 45.  This is the grade of alcohol that the bottle contains.

Pisco Sour/Mango Sour: Bottles of these usually have green caps and orange caps respectively.  This is how the featherweights do Pisco   Pisco Sour is a mixture of Pisco, sugar and lemon, and Mango sour is the same recipe with mango instead of lemon.  Both are delicious and much less likely to knock you out than a Piscola!

Breads:  If you are a carb addict like the rest of the US, you will be delighted to know that in Chile you’ll be able to get a fantastic bread fix!  At every supermarket in this country, breads are fresh baked every day.  Wander back to the bakery section and pick yourself up some

Avocado:  This probably won’t be a new food for many of you, but I thought I’d mention it on here anyways, because avocadoes here are RIDICULOUSLY cheap.  Buy one, spread it on fresh bread and eat for breakfast.  Put it on your sandwiches.  Make guacamole.  The possibilities are endless and the possibilities are cheap!  Take note, avocado is known as “palta,” here, not “aguacate, ” like in most other Spanish speaking countries.

Sahne Nuss: Sahne Nuss is the world’s best chocolate.  You seriously have to try this little candy bar, there is nothing like it!  It comes in a yellowish orangey colored wrapper and there are several different varieties available.  My favorite is the plain milk chocolate with almonds.  This chocolate is made by Nestle, but unfortunately isn’t sold in the US. 

Manjar/Dulce de Leche: Manjar, also known as dulce de leche, is a condensed milk treat that sort of tastes like caramel.  Chileans eat it like we eat peanut butter.  They even recently came out with a “manjar sin culpas,” or manjar without guilt…low-fat, low-cal…yes!  Now I can eat it by the gallon.

There are lots of interesting foods you can try at the supermarket in Chile.  Pick a big grocery store, such as Jumbo and Lider, take your time and explore.  Make sure to check out the produce section for more fun fruits and veggies that you may have never seen before, I didn’t add many to the list because they’re seasonal and I don’t know what will be in season by the time you get here. Don’t know what something is?  When you check out, ask your cashier how to eat it. 

And don’t forget to tip your bag-boy.  It’s customary to give them 100-200 pesos, or about $.20-40 cents.