Dairy products and eggs

Introduced by immigrants, especially the Germans who settled in the Lake District region in the mid-19th century, dairy herds now graze the prime grasslands in southern Chile, especially between Valdivía and Puerto Montt. Along with milk, products include cheese, butter and cream, the latter of which are used to make the delectable kuchen and milk-based desserts such as leche asada (Chilean-style baked milk pudding) and leche nevada (snow milk) that Chileans so enjoy. Cheese was unknown in Chile until the 19th century and does not feature in traditional recipes. However, in typical Chilean fashion it has been incorporated into old recipes and appears in gratinated shellfish dishes.