Specialty Food Magazine

SEP 2012

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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CUISINE SPOTLIGHT York, the country's trade organization, says Chile's most important culinary products are "farmed salmon, table grapes, wine and other fruits, including a tremendous growth in blueberries over the past year." The current economy is strong, with the largest middle class in South America. While tenacity has long contributed to Chile's survival, its increasing diversity has further enriched it. "At its base, our cuisine is the result of the crossbreeding of Spanish and native cultures," says Pilar Rodriguez, a Cordon Bleu–trained chef and owner of Food & Wine Studio in the centrally located Colchagua Valley, who is promoting her country's cuisine and wine with ProChile. "Every region brings its own terroir to their version of dishes like pastel de choclo, empanadas and cazuelas." And what diverse terroirs there are. The enormous variation of climates and topography not only impact the types of foods produced in a region, they form natural barriers against pests and disease: from the extremely arid Atacama Dessert in the north, to Mediterranean climates in the central regions along the Pacific Ocean, to subtropical weather around Easter Island, and down to glacial Antarctica in the extreme south. Finally, the Andes Mountains to the east run almost the entire length of the country, forming a natural barrier with Argentina. Varied Approaches to Cooking The diversity seen in the landscape and the culture can also be seen in the integration of distinct culinary approaches. "Some chefs are rescuing traditional recipes, others use modern presentations, and there are also cooks experimenting to raise the flavors of food to a different level using contemporary techniques," Rodriguez explains. Chef Matias Palomo Reyes at restaurant Sukalde in Santiago has cooked with Ferran Adrià at El Bullí in Barcelona and with Daniel Boulud in New York, and it shows with the foams and pow- ders that decorate dramatically conceived plates. His puree of sweet corn soup with pink scallops is garnished with black olive powder, white popcorn powder and Mapuchan horse jerky. These exciting, if elaborate, creations demonstrate the highest level of culinary art. In 2007, the Food Writers' Circle of Chile named Palomo Reyes Chef of the Year. Tomás Olivera Leiva, the chef-owner of CasaMar in Santiago, traveled to France and China to study local ingredients and tech- niques. He takes an earthier approach to dishes. "For me, it is most important to cook where I am," Olivera Leiva says. "I respect tradi- tion—my whole family, back to my grandmothers, was involved with cooking—and I want my guests to taste the DNA and soul of my country in my food." At Food & Wine Studio, Rodriguez focuses on recipes for people in everyday kitchens. "I don't want to make feeding yourself too complicated. Rather, I want to reach people with good food and to romance them with dishes they can replicate at home." Spreading the Chilean Message Chile's food industry is the second largest economic sector after cop- per, but in recent years the country has faced challenges, including a salmon virus. According to a ProChile report, as a result of the ISA CHILEAN PRODUCTS Agricola Valle Quilimari: extra-virgin olive oils recognized at Concorso Internazionale Oli de Olive "L'Oricolo de Oro" (Italy 2007, 2008) and Sol d`Verona (Gran Menzione, Italy 2006). vallequilimari.cl; giangrandigourmet.com Agricola y Forestal Don Rafael Ltda.: three brands of extra- virgin olive oils: 8 Olivos, Monjes de Lontue and Alto Lontue. donrafael.cl Aguas Glaciar S.A.: Ice Swan premium bottled water collected from the natural thawing of Chile's Patagonian glaciers. iceswan.cl Andes Foods: natural cheeses such as Gouda, Edam, Fontina and Havarti, and natural chorizos. andesfoods.com Aromo Wines: produces Great Reserve, Reserve and varietals of wine for clients in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. elaromo.cl Austral Family Estates: one of Chile's largest producers of extra-virgin olive oil. Brands include Aura Limited Edition, Premium Blend and Premium. auraoliveoil.com 102 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com Berries Chile S.A.: food processor cultivating raspberries, strawberries, wild blackberries, blueberries and grapes. berries-chile.com Bogaris Agriculture Chile S.A.: fresh extra-virgin olive oil, monovarietal and special blends, for private label and foodservice. bogarisoliveoil.com Geomar SA: gourmet seafood products such as razor clams, abalone and sea conch. www.geomar.cl Olisur: one of Chile's largest producers of estate-grown olive oil, maker of O-Live & Co. brand. o-liveandco.com Olivares de Quepu: award-winning line of extra-virgin olive oils. quepu.cl Origen Chilean Gourmet: merquén, honey, quinoa puffs, olive oil, avocado oil, vinegars and other specialty products. origenchileangourmet.cl Tamaya Gourmet: Chilean boutique fruits, such as caricas, baby pears and pure carica juice. tamayagourmet.cl Zeitun: extra-virgin olive oil. www.zeitun.cl

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