Chile Forum

Tombi wrote: Do you mean where can you buy rhubarb? If so (and excuse my density if not!), I saw fresh rhubarb at Jumbo La Dehesa last week. In punnets in the refrigerated part of the veggie section.

Thanks Tombi, that is exactly what I meant

rocksana wrote:

patagoniax wrote:It is called licor de ruibarbo and we don't talk about it because making it requires a government permit, even at home. Don't ask and I won't tell.
.

Damn, there should be a waiver for people who live there to preserve their 'traditions', especially considering how tough it must be living there, maybe there is a way around those rules :s

patagoniax wrote:You may feel that you have become partly "southern chilenised" when you can incorporate ruibarbo into 20 or more of your frequent food items.

I had heard it was 'cordero', that they even use it for cakes

On the Argentine side, where we are not, distillation for home use is evidently legal but we have been led to believe that here on the Chilean side it's regulated and generally not permitted to distill at home. Chicha, yes, elsewhere in Chile, because that is only fermented. Not that we ever see any chicha down here.

Cordero?

As far as cordero or any other disgusting sheep products, I was trying to dispel the myths. So one more time: that bullshit about ubiquitous sheep eating is long in the past. In fact cordero is enough of an unusual event at many restaurants that they'll make a point of posting a notice. Nobody would think of a little sign that says "Yes we have beef." In the carnicerías it's mostly beef and pig and chicken, sometimes some sheep parts, but not much. You often have to special-order a sheep carcass if you want to do an asado and play Magallanico or gaucho. And gaucho it is down here, none of that huaso stuff with the silly hats and cursi blankets and 5-million-peso horses. Down here gaucho is almost synonymous with outlaw and those characters still wear the facón and boina and stink like those damned sheep. They won't let anybody tell them that there are no gauchos anymore. If you refer to one of them as a huaso it's pretty much insulting, as if to suggest that he wears silk underwear or lives in Santiago or something.

MadTexan wrote:Anyone try to grow veggies in region 8 or 9? It looks like this is the bread basket of Chile (meaning cereals / grains crops), and they grow fruit and berries, but what about regular back yard veggies? Is there a long enough growing season and enough heat? I am not opposed to using a green house. I am very much in love with the beautiful places in this region (well, and farther south but don't want to endure the winters) but for me to move from the USA to here is totally dependant on the ability to grow my own food. I am trying to get away from genetically modified foods and foods grown with chemicals or hormones, etc. This forum is great, you guys are very helpful for a gringo doing research.

Perhaps Valdivia may suit you just fine. Winters are mild, it's green all year long, good soil and you'll get to see awesome rainbows.

Gloria wrote:

MadTexan wrote:Anyone try to grow veggies in region 8 or 9? It looks like this is the bread basket of Chile (meaning cereals / grains crops), and they grow fruit and berries, but what about regular back yard veggies? Is there a long enough growing season and enough heat? I am not opposed to using a green house. I am very much in love with the beautiful places in this region (well, and farther south but don't want to endure the winters) but for me to move from the USA to here is totally dependant on the ability to grow my own food. I am trying to get away from genetically modified foods and foods grown with chemicals or hormones, etc. This forum is great, you guys are very helpful for a gringo doing research.

Perhaps Valdivia may suit you just fine. Winters are mild, it's green all year long, good soil and you'll get to see awesome rainbows.

Sounds awesome! We are trying to get everything in order now. Our house sold yesterday so we hope to be there in Chile within 6-8 weeks.