Not all snack foods are created equal. Seafood is a little more expensive and meat generally is not. If you're in between meals and craving something substantial and tasty but light on the wallet, here is a little introduction to just a few of the more popular snacks in Chile that you can find anywhere.
Completo
This is the glorified hot dog of Chile. It typically comes with avocado, diced tomato, and mayonnaise on top and can be further decorated with ketchup, mustard, relish, and chili peppers. You might have seen Anthony Bourdain eat a giant completo in Viña del Mar. If not, you can here. I like to order mine sin mayonesa.
Empanada
These are delicious pockets of golden baked dough filled with anything of your choice. The usuals you'll find in shops are the pino, queso (cheese), jamón y queso (ham and cheese), espinaca (spinach), and sometimes mariscos (shellfish). The pino is considered Chile's specialty and is filled with ground beef, onions, a piece of hardboiled egg, and a whole olive.
Choripán
The choripán is a delicious little chorizo sausage tucked in a bun sometimes with avocado or tomato. This is one of the Chilean people's most beloved foods. Funny thing is, you can't buy them ready-to-eat anywhere. This is because they are usually eaten at asados (BBQs) which are frequent here, where the choripán can be made to the tastes of people grilling them.
Chorrillana
This is the mother of all beastly junk/drunk foods. Imagine a plate about 15in long, piled high with papas fritas (french fries), queso, hot dog/sausage slices, cebollas (onions), and a couple of huevos fritos (fried eggs) on top and you've got the chorrillana. We as a group have decided that there is no way anyone in their right mind would order this, especially eating it solo, but with a group of friends after a night at the bars, nothing tastes better...or feels better in the morning. ;-)
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