Storecupboard staples

Before the introduction of wheat by the Spanish, the major crops in Chile were corn and quinoa, and these ingredients remain an important part of the diet. In addition to the fresh forms of the products, processed goods such as quinoa flour, polenta and cornmeal are also used, and appear in pastry and cakes in place of wheat flour. Wheat berries, also found in Eastern European cooking, are used in Chile for risotto and to make a nutritious dessert, with a nutty flavour and chewy texture.