1. The Chilean Peasant: An Introduction
By: Carla A. Arce
Peasantry is not normally something to be proud of. We have been taught that being a peasant means you come from
a lower class, all you have are beans and maybe three other ingredients that you eat daily, you accompany your
meals with stale bread, and your homeland is classified as a third world country. Of course, that isn’t always
necessarily true because poverty can be found worldwide and it is classified differently everywhere, even here in the
States.
My father grew up on the dirty streets of Cartagena, Chile and immigrated to New Jersey in 1973. He tells me all the
time about how Jersey had “the best food”, but that he would still come home wanting, craving to eat Porotos
Granados con Mazamorra (Bean Stew), an ensalada con cebolla y tomates (tomato and onion salad), and pan
(bread) during the summer season. One of my fondest memories is sitting at the dinner table on a warm night with
my father waiting for my mother to serve this particular bean dish. The carmalized smell of onions as they sautéed in
the pan, sweet corn that had been freshly cut off the cob, and the pungent odor of basil brush my nose. In my
recollection, my father makes this grunting “awe” followed by a slurp noise as he points at his food and says,
“Peasant food man, this is peasant food! You wouldn’t believe that if I hadn’t of told you huh kid?” To be honest,
the dish certainly looked poor. Grey/brown in color with some hints of yellow due to the corn, lumpy in texture, but
the taste was so flavorful and luscious that you end up looking beyond the physic. You end up looking so beyond the
physic of the dish that you end up on your third helping, every time.
There are many dishes like Porotos Granados con Mazamorra where you wouldn’t think them to be “peasant” food
by taste and in some cases by presentation. An example would be Pastel de Choclo and before I decided to become
a pescetarian, this was one of my favorite dishes.
Popular during the new corn season, Pastel de Choclo is somewhat similar to an American Shepherd’s Pie. It
consists of two layers. The first bottom layer, also known as piño, is made up of ground beef, caramelized onions,
black olives, and seasonings that come together to create this juicy meat filling. The top layer is made up of a
beautifully mashed, sweet, golden corn that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and blended together with basil
(Chileans use a lot of basil). Sugar is then sprinkled on top for added sweetness and browning, kind of like what you
would do to a crème brûlée. As it bakes in the oven, you can smell these few ingredients merrily coming together to
form an overly delicious meal, or as we say at home, “riquísimo!”
Homemade Chilean dishes are considered peasant food, with minimal ingredients; however, the rich and hearty
flavors that are used make each plate generate an indulging savory-ness. So you see, peasantry doesn’t have to be
poor quality food. It certainly isn’t for my father. In fact it is celebrated and you can taste it within every dish. As
long as your peasant food has superlative flavor, you’re rich no matter what, even if it just beans.