Commercial Mission to Chile - Feb 2008

by Marion Sproul

I've been on many trips to foreign countries in the course of my job, so I thought I knew generally what to expect on this trip, my first to Chile, but I was not prepared to be BLOWN AWAY by the people, their country, their products and their culture.

It has taken me a while to put into perspective all of the experiences we had, all of the wonderful foods we ate, sites we saw and people we met on a mid-February trip to Chile with 4 of our valued customers and a journalist.

The day we arrived in Santiago, we were welcomed with a memorable dinner prepared by the well-known Chef Guillermo Rodriguez, who used ingredients produced and supplied by the manufacturers that we had come to visit. Pisco sours served beforehand helped us to all but forget that we had just spent over 11 hours on airplanes to get here!!!

Santiago is a most beautiful city and having come from the cold and wet North, we all appreciated the 80 degree weather and warm sunny skies on our trip.

First day out we visited the Origen Vinegar factory and tasted their wonderful wine vinegars made in the Orleans style. Our hosts at Origen treated us to a lunch at the beautiful Terra Noble restaurant where each course was prepared with a different Origen vinegar - proving the versatility of these beautiful vinegars.

Next we visited Emporio Nacional, a locally owned "store" that carries nothing but indigenous products from small Chilean producers - and what an array of products there were. It was amazing to see, all under one roof, such a variety of specialty foods produced in Chile. We tasted many of the items on display and gladly carried away with us some very interesting products.


From Santiago, we drove out to the lush Valle Cabildo where
avocado groves and citrus plantations cover the surrounding hillsides for miles and miles. We had travelled to see where our Apalta Organic Avocado Oil comes from and we were not disappointed. Traveling in "crates" pulled by a tractor, we got a birds eye view of this beautiful area while learning about the difficulty of accessing enough water due to drought, about the organic methods used to grow and pollinate this luscious fruit, and about the commitment and responsibility that everybody involved in this operation feels for their land and the products born from it.

In the following days, we visited a myriad of excellent producers including Michelson with their jarred fruits and vegetables, Andes Cheese in Panquehue in the Aconcagua Valley, Sano Sur and their high quality chestnut and chickpea flours, forest mushrooms and sauces, and Monteolivo, a fairly new state of the art olive oil plantation and manufacturing facility which has garnered awards worldwide for their high quality olive oils. Before leaving Santiago, we were treated to a scrumptious dinner with Geomar Seafoods, and were highly impressed by the quality of these canned seafood products that are packed using state of the art machinery and the most up to date methods.

On day four we packed up our gear and flew down to Temuco in the South of Chile where our adventure REALLY began.

Our first stop was the Trawepeyum Intercultural Village in Curarrehue where we were hosted at a traditional Mapuche meal prepared by Anita Epulef and her staff in their traditional Mapuche "house". What an amazing experience! We learned about the history of the Mapuche people and their struggle to maintain their lifestyle and traditions while balancing the need to make a living to support their families. It was a true eye opener and brought up many questions about the role we play in helping these remarkable people help themselves in the ways that are important to THEM.

The next day our Mapuche education continued with visits to two small producers of the Merken spice that we are bringing into the U.S through Chilean Gourmet. Each of these small producers has a unique recipe for the Merken spice that has been handed down over generations. From the picture, you can get a sense of how the process for producing Merken Spice has changed over the years - using a mortar and pestle, to a hand grinder, then on to an electric grinder.

Chilean Gourmet is working with 70 families and the Universidad Catolico de Temulco to standardize the ingredients and the recipes used for this spice blend for export. The families that they work with could not have been more welcoming and again, this visit brought up the question of our role in supporting the efforts of these families. Each day brought us more clarity around the responsibilities we have as American consumers and as participants in the distribution network that bring such meaningful products to our customers. It is our duty to tell the stories behind the products and to ensure that the traditions and integrity of our venors are respected.

After a stop on the coast for a delicious fresh seafood lunch, we were delighted by a visit to Murtilla Carahue, producers of Patagonian berry products. Carlos Inostroza, his family and their community are propagating wild Patagonia berries (known as myrtle berries in the U.S.) and making sauces, jellies and liquors out of them. They have plans to move the entire operation to Carahue so as to involve the community in the entire process from growth to planting to production. We look forward to working with Carlos and his family in the future.

Before heading back to Santiago, we had the opportunity to taste several other delicacies from the South such as dried wild herbs and wild mushrooms, liquors made from traditional herbs and berries, mild goat cheese, traditional Mapuche hazelnuts and pastries, nut oils, and dulce de leche. The bounty of Chile is truly overwhelming.

Our last day in Chile, we flew back to Santiago and were hosted by Paulina and Roberto of Chilean Gourmet in their beautiful home outside of Santiago for lunch and a presentation. Paulina and Roberto beautifully embody the spirit and generosity of the people of Chile and it is such and honor and a pleasure to work with them. We had actually planned to spend our last afternoon sightseeing, but we all felt so comfortable at Paulina and Roberto's that instead we made ourselves at home for the whole day before heading off to the airport and our long journey home. We can't thank them enough for their hospitality.

I returned from Chile with a much stronger understanding of this country's culture and traditions and a very deep respect for their people and the wonderful array of products that they are producing. As a company, we are very honored and excited to be working with these manufacturers and their beautiful products from their wonderful country.