11 Awesome Everyday Things Chile Gave The World

This South American country with beautiful vistas and sublime scenery has given us so much more than just food, drink and the perfect Christmas gifts. Here’s a selection of the great day to day things we can be grateful for – thanks Chile!

Empanadas

These crusty pastries filled with either minced meat, olives, raisins and a hard boiled egg, prawns and cheese and many other flavors, can be found absolutely everywhere. From street vendors on the corner to cafes, restaurants and bars, as well as every household!

Red red wine…

Leather goods

Visit the Santa Lucia artisan market and you won’t be short of leather gifts. From traditional leather belts to wallets, backpacks and satchels, as well as less conventional wine holders, cooking aprons and coasters, it’s all here!

Terremoto

No, Chile didn’t invent the natural force of earthquakes, but they did name a drink after them as they happen so often. It’s partly a celebratory drink for surviving one – a concoction of wine, grenadine syrup and pineapple ice cream, sometimes spiked with fernet, rum or vodka. Watch out though, as you may think there is an earthquake after two of them, when you can’t feel your legs.

Marraqueta

The beloved bread of the Chileans, so much so that ‘to be born with a marraqueta under your arm’ has the same meaning as the English phrase ‘to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth.’ Everywhere you go, you will find freshly baked marraquetas, and rightly so, Chileans love them, especially with a layer of palta (avocado) or dulce de leche!

Pisco

You can argue whether this is really something Chile or Peru gave the world, but essentially, while one bickers about this, you could be enjoying a fresh pisco sour. If you are a pisco-holic, why not spend a weekend discovering the process and tasting the variations of the brandy in Pisco Elqui, near La Serena.

Alpaca wool

Those cold wintery nights are made all the more bearable with alpaca socks and jumpers, the soft fluff is extremely warm and a pleasant material to wear. When you visit the artisan markets there are always plenty of options, whether you’re looking for a cosy hat, a pair of fluffy socks, a jumper or a mat, it’s all available.

Lapis Lazuli

This is Chile’s national stone, the stone of wisdom, friendship, truth and integrity, and is considered in the Middle East to have magical powers! Used for cufflinks, earrings, necklaces and key rings, this token of love and friendship is the perfect gift for one of your loved ones.

Woven fabrics

Looking for something to jazz up your interior design? The indigenous Mapuche Indians that lived in the south of Chile learnt how to make good quality ponchos and clothing to keep them warm during the harsh winters. In addition, they also made quality rugs from a number of textures and patterns. This skill has been passed down from generation to generation, and you can still buy these treasures today.

Sopaipillas

This fried pastry is another Chilean favourite, thought to have been eaten since at least 1726. Once you’ve spent any time in the country you will then understand how important they are for Chileans, made with cooked ground pumpkin in their dough and served with either pebre or chancaca (a hot sweet syrup).

Plenty of penguin sightings!

There are not many places you can spot a range of different breeds of penguins in the world, but Chile is one of them, as well as being the only place outside of Antarctica to have a colony of king penguins. Chiloé is also the only place in the world that you can spot both Magallanes and Humboldt penguins at the same time!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.