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Cooking

Mapuche Cooking

Cooking is a cultural expression, a way of combining and transforming products that nature gives us.

When we say "culinary arts" we are saying that the food communicates, "talks", connects and possesses a sense beyond feeding, nursing, reproducing.

If we take a look in the past at colonial chronicle's and writings, we can see that mapuche women created a diet based on vegetables (fruits, cereals, herbs, etc.) and meats (domestic and wild animals), that they maintain . A lot of vegetables and animal species have disappeared, however the actual ways for preparing those meals have not significant changes.

Merken

MERKEN
A POWDER MADE FROM A TYPE OF CHILI PEPPER AND CORIANDER

It is known that Mapuche food is more natural because it is made from organic products with high nutritional value.

Merken, a spice mixture, is made primarily of a long, pointed chili pepper called "aji", or "cacho de cabra" in local dialect.
The pepper is grown throughout the region and is gathered in February, when it turns from bright green to red

Preparation

- After the harvest, the "ají" is sun-dried until it becomes violet-colored.
- The dried chilies are smoked for half an hour and are hung from the ceiling in wicker baskets directly over a wood-fire.
- After being dried in the sun a second time, the "aji" is finely ground with a stone mortar.
- Lightly smoked coriander seeds and sea salt are added to the "aji" powder.

Merken is always made with at least 70% "ají" powder and never more than 20% salt.

The Merken is used to flavor soups, meats, omelettes and salads.

More information:
wwww.americas.org/item_18147

Alfish Iyagel (toasted peas)

Alfish Iyagel (toasted peas)
4 servings

Ingredients
1 cup peas
1 cup mote*

Preparation

Toast the peas into a dried saucepan, then put it on the stove. Stir with a flax stalk or a wood spoon to avoid overcooking.
Cook to soften into a saucepan with water, then mix with the mote* and spread the peas. Serve with a tasty hot "ajicito" (chili).
It could be prepared also with broad bean in the same way.

Mote:

* Mote is wheat that was peeled by lejía (ashes). Leave to soak and then add to the stew.

Nutrition Information
Per serving
Calories: 345.7
Protein: 19.6g
Fat: 1.9g
Carbohydrate: 62.2g
Legumes (peas) are high in protein content.

Source: Mapuche Recipes.

Muday

There are no translations available.

Bebida tradicional mapuche

De uso ceremonial, y también como refresca y en celebraciones, esta bebida ha acompañado a este pueblo desde antaño.

Los españoles, recién llegados a esta tierra la describieron y gustaron de ella:

Mapuche Ñi Giael

There are no translations available.

Mapuche Ñi Giael
La alimentación en el pueblo mapuche

La alimentación mapuche proviene hoy como en el pasado de la tierra en que habita y que cultiva (sur de argentina y Chile). Se constituye fundamentalmente de los productos agrícolas que siembra y cosecha, entre ellos, fundamentalmente, trigo, papas, arvejas, habas, ajos, cebollas, ají y maíz.

Curanto

The "Curanto en Hoyo " is a traditional dish from the Great Island of Chiloé. The Island was inhabitated by the Chono people. Nowadays the Williche communities maintain the Chono people´s traditions.
The word "curanto"; comes from mapudungun "curantü";, that means "stone warmed up by the sun".
The original "curanto"; must be prepared outside of the house in a pit , in contact with "the warm mother earth";, stones, and leaves of nalca, which allow to seal the ingredients through steam cooking.

Receipe
( Ingredients for more than 30 people)
Seafood:
- 1 coat of oyster
- 1/2 coat of clams or "tacas";
- 1/2 coat of mussels
- "Picorocos"; and "navajuelas"; to taste (optative)
- 1 coat of Potatoes
- 5 kgs smoked pork
- 5 kgs lamb
- Chicken
- Broad bean
- Leaves of cabbage
- Onions
- 4 kgrs pork sausage
- Milcaos *
- Chapaleles *

Preparation:
First of all it is necessary to dig a hole in the ground about one meter in diameter and some one-half meter deep.
Put firewood, coal and stones of regular size into the hole. Start a fire under the stones. When the stones are very hot, clear away the large pieces of burning wood and debris, leaving the hole filled with scalding rocks and embers.
Over the hot stones dump a first layer of clams followed by meat (chicken, smoked prok ribs), pork sausages, potatoes, vegetables, onions, leeks and finally mussels that require less cooking time.
These are covered with cabbage leaves upon which the "chapaleles" and "milcaos" are spread. All of this is covered by nalca leaves and
the large patch of earth and grass that was cut away from the earth to dig the hole is placed grass side down over the hole.

The curanto must be left alone to cook for 45 minutes. Then open the hole carefully so that don´t introduce dust in the baking.
A curanto is also served with "pebre,” a type of salsa made from diced tomatoes and onions, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, garlic, aji, oil and salt.

* Milcao: a soft potato bread made out of grated potatoes. They are filled with chicharrones.

* Chapalele: a soft potato bread made out of mashed potatoes and raw grated potatoes.