Chilean cuisine: Why is it one of the best in the world?

For lovers of food and fine dining, Chile is an incredible destination. Our complex geography and great extension give us unique diversity filled with colors, scents, and flavors which are out of this world.

Gastronomic websites such as Taste Atlas rank us among the 32 best cuisines in the world, while specialized rankings like The Best include national restaurants on their lists.

What makes Chilean cuisine so special? Why is it considered to be one of the best in the world? Keep reading and discover the secrets of our national cuisine.

Chilean cuisine, from the sea to your table

We are privileged in Chile! With more than 4,300 kilometers of coastline in a straight line and huge seamounts, we have species of fish, shellfish, and seafood that you will not find in any other part of the world.

The environmental conditions like the cold Humboldt current, which covers a large part of our territory, and the rich minerals of the depths of the Pacific Ocean, allow for the growth of delicious seafood.

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At restaurants and in seafood markets across Chile, you will find oysters, scallops, clams, sea urchins, crabs, abalones, and red sea squirts, as well as fish with an incredible flavor like conger, hake, and even tuna from the island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) which is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Moreover, you cannot leave Chile without trying lobster from Juan Fernández and Chilean king crab.

Ancestral cuisine filled with tradition

Creole cuisine in Chile is filled with tradition and culinary heritage that comes from our native peoples like the Mapuche, Aymara, Rapa Nui, Atacameño, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Chango, Kawésgar, Yagán, and Selk’nam.

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Chilean ancestral cuisine is well-known for using ingredients like quinoa, cooked wheat, corn, pine nuts, and cochayuyo (seaweed). It also tends to use mushrooms with amazing flavors like changles and digüeñes.

Haute cuisine and fusion food

The wide variety of ingredients and raw materials produced in Chile, as well as the creativity and professionalism of our chefs, have led to the success of haute cuisine restaurants in our biggest cities and tourist destinations like Santiago.

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The latest gastronomic ranking of The World’s 50 Best, ranked seven Chilean restaurants in the top 100 in Latin America.

They highlighted the proposals of Boragó (5), Yum cha (54), Pulpería Santa Elvira (57), La Calma By Fredes (62), Demencia (66), Casa Las Cujas (72), Olam (78), and Karai by Mitsuharu (98). All of these restaurants are in Santiago, the capital of Chile.

Photo: [@Boragoscl]