Curanto!

When doing some research for this trip (and don't let me give you the impression that I did that much...) I re-watched the Michael Palin video from his trip around the Pacific Ocean. I remembered that he stopped at Chile and Chiloé on that trip and I wanted to check his impressions. He talked about the witchcraft here in Chiloé and also attended an authentic curanto - a feast where everything is baked underground.

That looked like fun.

Tite told us that an authentic Chiloé curanto is held every day during the summer at a resort called Millaguen over near the end of the Panamerican Highway. So around noon today we packed up and headed over there. (Since Tite's two dogs go everywhere that he goes, they accompanied us up to the bus stop on the main street here in Quellón. We got on the bus and they watched us leave - then they made their way home on their own.)

The curanto was great!

Here's a blow by blow account...

When we got there a fire of wood on top of rocks was roaring away in the curanto house. Baskets full of clams and mussels were sitting in the sun awaiting their fate. The fire isn't for cooking - it's only function is to heat the stones to a baking temperature. Once the stones are determined to be hot enough the coals from the wood fire are carefully taken away and the hot stones are left as clean as possible. This is so that the mariscos aren't burned and are kept clean.

Then the excitement begins as branches of a special fragrant shrubbery called arrayan are placed around the edge of the fire covering the hot stones, a covered pan full of chicken and pork is placed on the hot stones, and beside it the clams are spread out in an even layer. Steam billows and hisses as water hits the stones. All of this is overseen by the head chef/hostess Eugenia (seen here in the light blue blouse and dark blue apron).















Then the mussels are spread over the clams.















And sausages and fava beans and potatoes are spread on top of the mussels.















A fine piece of wet cloth is spread over everything and moist dough called chapalele (made from cooked potatoes and flour) is placed on the cloth. Another wet cloth is spread over the dough.















Everything is covered in huge leaves called pangue.















Then chunks of sod are brought to cover it all and seal it relatively tightly (except for a few spots where steam sneaks out like hotspots in Yellowstone Park).















The curanto is left to cook like this for 30 minutes.















This gave us a chance to wander around the resort and take in the views, the flowers and the green parrots flying around in flocks...















After the 30 minutes have passed the entire process is reversed - the sod is taken off and piled up, steam billows up in clouds, the leaves are removed and the food is taken out.















Everyone (about 25 of us today) gets a huge plate of food with pebre (Chilean salsa) and a glass of Chilean wine.















Post curanto entertainment is the music of Chiloé played on a guitar and drum. Total cost is about $8 per person. A unique and fun dining experience...