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The Chilean chorrillana – A culinary must in Valparaíso

It is said that no visitor should leave the romantic city of Valparaíso without having tasted a chorrillana. The Porteños love this hearty inexpensive dish, and share the plate with its heap of fries and toppings among friends. The restaurant J. Cruz in Valparaiso is said to prepare the best chorrillanas.

There are different stories as to how the dish and its name came to be. Some attribute it to Chorrillos, an important location during the Saltpeter War. Others suspect a linguistic connection (chorrear = dripping); a chorillana is a “big mountain” of French fries, dripping with the juices of the fried onion rings, pieces of beef and a fried egg atop the heap. However, many Chilean restaurants have refined the chorrillana, substituting it other varied toppings. We like this story best: About 80 years ago, at the country house Roma in the emblematic district of Playa Ancha, an English trading seaman conjured up a dish for all his Chilean colleagues from all that the kitchen had to offer and simply called it la Chorrillana.

Nowadays, many Chilean restaurants have refined the chorrillana with other ingredients and added it to their menu. The restaurant J Cruz in Valparaiso is to prepare the best chorrillanas in Valparaíso.

Further culinary recommendations will gladly be given by your travel advisor.

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