There are hundreds of hidden treasures in the nearly 4,700 kilometers that comprise Chile's continental coast. In the central region alone, there are about 250 species of algae and thallophytes, the plants that don't need soil to grow in rocks. The kind of plant that would go unnoticed by an inexperienced eye that wouldn't recognize them from the rest of the vegetation growing a few meters away. Chef Rodolfo Guzman not only identifies them but he personally harvests and cooks them several times a week. Alma y cerebro del Boragó (the Borago's soul and brain), one of the best restaurants in Chile and Latin America, has worked hard to get to know and use the native ingredients that grow by the sea in the kitchen.
As part of the first Ngelemen international symposium of gastronomy that takes place in Chile, Guzman is leading a harvest day. The symposium was held last week in Santiago and dozens of domestic and foreign experts spoke about the challenges faced by alimentation and the generation of new economies around new gastronomy products. However, chef Guzman wanted to show on site that these endemic ingredients, as he calls them, are just 100 kilometers away from the capital and have unique flavors.
Chileans only use two of the nearly 700 species of algae that can be found throughout the country: the cochayuyo, and the ulte. However, Guzman and the study center that revolves around Borago are, in today's kitchen, engaged in the use of cooking with the ingredients that native people used for various purposes, including medicine, many centuries ago.
According to Guzman, "these native ingredients are delicious and could be a very logical way of eating in the future, once food starts to become scarce." They are also very nutritious: the tallophytes have 38% protein, almost the same amount as a fish.
The challenge is huge in a country with a vast coastline where the population only consumes 20% of the fish recommended. The chef is confident that Chile could become a great pantry for the rest of the world. "We could feed many other countries in a sustainable, delicious, and very unique and healthy way," he said.
Source: elpais.com