Shout Out to Chilean Food

I want to take a minute to acknowledge just how good the food is here. When I was leaving Canada, I was a bit nervous about what I would eat here. I have been known to be a bit picky in my eating habits at home, so I had no idea what to expect when coming to Chile. In the past, I have been pleasantly surprised by the food in a certain country (Costa Rican fried plantains, anyone?), frustrated (salad that was too spicy to eat in India), to downright horrified (meats of every animal you can imagine in Vietnam).

Luckily, Chile has been a fantastic experience when it comes to food. The fruits and vegetables here are much sweeter and better tasting than back home. At the market, everything smells fresh. I could just eat raw fruits and veggies here and I'd be happy. But then there's the bread. Oh my god, the bread. We get it with every meal, so you'd think I would be sick of it. Yeah, right. I feel sick at the thought of not eating it! I don't know if it's tastier here, or just a different texture, but I think I've gained ten pounds just on bread alone.

And then there's my host mom's cooking. She makes the best meals: empanadas with chicken, turkey burgers, quiche with egg, spinach, and carrot, lentil stew, and so many more. I haven't been disappointed once. In fact, often when I am finishing a meal, I am completely full, but already looking forward to the next one! (That's not an exaggeration. I was excited about breakfast as I was finishing dinner last night.)

Sadly, I fear I may have to learn to cook. Either that, or I will be going through some serious withdrawal when I get back home!