Associates commemorate Chilean Independence with traditional customs, music, food and more.
“I know it’s September when I can smell the onion in the air,” says Javiera Feito, senior manager of internal communications, Walmart Chile.
While those of us in the northern hemisphere are looking ahead to the crisper mornings and shorter days of fall after a long, hot summer, associates, customers and communities in Chile are feeling festive as springtime and Fiestas Patrias celebrations sweep across the country. September is finally here.
Fiestas Patrias, also called Dieciocho, or the 18th, commemorates the proclamation of Chile’s first governing body in 1810, beginning its independence from Spanish rule. The three-day holiday includes the Day of the Glories of the Army, celebrated Sept. 19 with the Great Military Parade of Chile, along with other events, parades, music, dancing and more continuing throughout the month. It’s a joyful time of year that connects Chileans like no other as they gather to make new memories with well-loved traditions.
Getting in the groove
A favorite tradition for Chileans during Fiestas Patrias is dancing the cueca.
Declared the national dance of Chile in 1979, the cueca depicts the courtship between a rooster and a hen. Chileans will don traditional attire for the dance, like a huaso’s hat, poncho and flowered dresses, and hold white handkerchiefs to mimic the movements of feathers and wings.
The 400 store locations in Walmart Chile have set aside time and space so associates can dance the cueca and share in this meaningful holiday tradition.
“I believe that our culture in Chile is represented through these dances, and this celebration gives us an opportunity to showcase our traditional dances, which are amazing and represent our entire country, not just Chileans, but the entire community,” Alejandra González, store associate, Lider 57 for Walmart Chile.
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Feasting like a Chilean
You’ll need energy for all that dancing! And there are so many can’t-miss dishes for Fiestas Patrias to fuel the fun. “Pebre is one of my favorites,” says Javiera. This guacamole-like topping is made with tomato, chilies, onions, cilantro, garlic, oil and lemon juice. “We put pebre on meat, bread, empanadas, choripan and mainly with sopaipillas.”
Sopaipilla, a fried dough made of wheat flour and pumpkin puree, can be sweet or savory, appetizer or dessert. The Chilean Pino empanada is another local favorite. Stuffed with a beef and onion mixture – the pino – these empanadas also have black olives and a hard-boiled egg. Those craving a sweet bite can opt to add sweet raisins, though Javiera says it needs one more touch.
“It’s better with pebre!”
Pebre is a Chilean condiment that goes with … pretty much everything! Try it with bread or potatoes. Mix it into your soup. Top your meat, empanadas or sopaipillas with it. Pebre makes everything better! Our friends at Walmart Chile shared this recipe for pebre.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 4 tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons cilantro
- 1/3 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 chili (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Dice the onion. Soak it in ice cold water for 5 minutes. Strain the water from the onion and then return to cold water. Repeat this process three times to lessen the intensity of the onion flavor.
- Wash and dice the tomatoes.
- Wash the cilantro and chop it finely.
- Wash the chili and cut it in half. Remove the seeds and the vein from the center. Dice the chili.
- In a bowl, mix tomato, onion, cilantro, chili, oil and salt. Add the water and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Sopaipilla are fried dough snacks enjoyed with sweet or savory toppings, as an appetizer or a dessert. Chilean sopaipillas often include pumpkin or squash in the dough. This recipe for sopaipilla is from Walmart Chile.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons melted vegetable shortening or butter
- Oil for frying
Directions
- In a bowl, add pumpkin, baking powder, salt, butter and enough flour to form a soft dough (about 2 cups).
- Mix to form a dough. Knead lightly.
- Roll out on a floured counter to ½ cm thickness.
- Cut circles from the dough using a round mold. Prick with fork.
- In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry sopaipilla on both sides for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.
- Place on paper towel to absorb oil.
- Serve hot with pebre or powdered sugar.
La Piscola is a popular drink in Chile. It’s easily made with Coca Cola and Pisco, a brandy-like spirit that's produced in Chile by distilling fermented grape juice.
Ingredients
- Pisco
- Coke
- Ice
Directions
- Add ice to a tall glass.
- Pour Pisco and cola, mixing it to your taste — typically 30% of Pisco and 70% of Coca Cola.
This baked milk dessert uses simple ingredients to create an everyday treat enjoyed in Chile and other Latin American countries. Walmart Chile shared this recipe for Leche Asada.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of milk
- Vanilla extract
- Peel of half an orange without the pith (white part)
- 1 cup of white sugar for the caramel
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC / 356ºF.
- In a small pot make the caramel sauce by heating sugar over low heat.
- Pour caramel into 8-inch baking dish or glass dish.
- Add milk, orange, vanilla and sugar to another pot. Heat until sugar dissolves and the milk has boiled. Turn off heat.
- Remove the orange peels.
- Separately, beat 4 eggs for a few minutes and add the milk little by little.
- Add mixture to the dish with caramel.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Wait for it to cool and serve.
And across Chile, Walmart stores not only stock products and items needed for these and more local faves; many private brand products are locally sourced, supporting companies made 100% in Chile. Some private brand offerings include chorizo, various empanadas, sopaipillas and desserts like arroz con leche and mote con huesillo.
Many Chileans will also gather for a barbeque or feast at fondas – public tents or venues serving up these and more traditional Chilean eats. The Walmart Chile Home Office created a fonda onsite to help associates celebrate, complete with food, games, product highlights, music, cueca dancing and messages from leadership.
Bringing people together
But the best and most important part of the holiday, says Sandra Concha, store leader, Express de Lider 603 for Walmart Chile, is spending time with family.
“My most beautiful memory is that my parents used to prepare for these celebrations in advance, and that's why I love these celebrations so much. We used to make empanadas together as a family, and I would eat eggs and olives while my mom made the empanadas. That's my most important memory, always spending time with my son, my mom, and my sisters, always sharing with the family.”
And that’s what every holiday and celebration shares, no matter where it’s happening in the world.
As we move through the rest of 2024 and into the new year, follow along for more peeks into how associates and communities celebrate and connect around the globe.
