3. Empanadas de Pino – Chilean Empanadas
A favorite snack food in Chile, these baked pies or empanadas are available pretty much everywhere. You will not miss them.
In Chile the most traditional empanada filling is called “pino.” The filling is a mixture of minced meat, onions, raisins, black olives and hard boiled eggs.
Having discovered empanadas in Argentina we were quite eager to experience the Chilean version.
The empanadas in the two Latin American countries are completely different. The most obvious difference is the size.
In Chilean cuisine, the empanada de pino is huge – almost double the size you find in Argentina.
The second difference is the shape. In Argentina, the empanadas are half-moon shaped, while in Chile they are squared off.
Empanadas are typically cooked “al horno”, which means baked in a wood burning oven, or deep fried.
A traditional dish we savored several empanada de pino as a street food in different cities in the country.
We particularly enjoyed the traditional empanada de pino which we had baked or “al horno.”
Along the coast, seafood or mariscos empanadas are absolutely delicious. These are typically fried. And, finally, you’ll also find vegetarian or verdura options filled with the seasonal vegetables.
While unlike empanadas in Argentina, Chilean empanadas are delightful and deserving in their own right.