Chile

Chile's long coastline delivers extraordinary seafood, from ceviche to hearty fish stews, while its central valley yields corn, beans, and wine. Pastel de choclo and empanadas anchor a comforting, produce-rich table.

Pastel de choclo has no pastry: a meat and onion filling under a lid of ground fresh corn, sugar sprinkled on top and browned in the oven, served in the clay dish it was baked in. Ceviche is eaten here too but it is shared with and argued over against Peru, so nobody on this coast gets to claim it outright.

Two southern specifics carry the country. Curanto on Chiloe is a pit of fire-heated stones layered with shellfish, meat and potato dumplings, covered with nalca leaves and turf and left to steam like a buried pressure cooker; its name comes from the Mapudungun for stony. Merken is the Mapuche condiment, cacho de cabra chillies sun-dried, wood-smoked and ground with toasted coriander seed and salt.

A hot dog buried under diced tomato, mashed avocado, sauerkraut, and mayonnaise, Chile's overloaded snack-lunch.