Curanto: The recipe

The Curanto tradition
The road to Curanto
Where to taste it
How to prepare it

How do you prepare the Araucan curanto? (Curanto means: hot stone)

You dig a hole in the ground of about 15 cm. In depth. (The area of this hole depends on the number of people)

Red hot round stones (typical of this area) are placed in the hole.

You then spread a blanket of nalca or maqui leaves. On these you place the ingredients: beef, lamb meat, pork, chicken, chorizo, potatoes, sweet potatoes and hollow pumpkin stuffed with cheese, cream and sweet peas. A new layer of leaves is laid on the ingredients and on top of these wet sacks to keep the heat inside. Everything is covered with abundant soil turning this into a true pressure cooker.

When smoke starts escaping through the soil, it means that it is time to uncover the curanto. The food has been perfectly cooked by the heat of the stones.

In Chile, there is a city version by placing everything in a pan and cooking it on a stove.

Some telephones of interest (for information)

Museum: (02944) - 448330
"Lo de Nora": (02944) - 448250
Trout "Colonia Suiza": (02944) - 448360
3 de Mayo Transport: (02944) - 433805