Corn versus Grapes

Today was a driving day, covering about 600 kms. When planning the trip I found there was very little between the Pucon area and Santa Cruz region. However, I wanted to give the Maule wine region a see, so I managed to find something in Talca.

Corn, corn, everywhere
They grow a lot of corn here. Even down by Pucon you see corn, as it is the consistently grown staple. Seeing as we don't see any wheat, but a heck of a lot of bread, it only makes sense that this is used to make flour as well.

Back home I don't mind corn, but have never gone so far to call it a staple (like potatoes). Learning how creative they are with its use here, I've learned to respect this crop.

A couple of dishes we've tried:
Humita: some sort of corn mush, wrapped in corn leaves and cooked. Actually quite yummy.
Pastel de Choclo: more corn mush, mixed with chicken and beef, and maybe other veggies, cooked in a bowl. The top becomes crispy and it is as filling as stew. Also yummy, and would be great in cool weather.

Those are the ones known to contain corn. I'm sure they're hiding it in other things we're eating, but just don't know it.

German presence
When reading about the Lakes region of Chile, it was a common theme that there was a distinct German influence in the area. Looking in the restaurants and in town, I don't know how the comment count be made. (As contrast, a good example of German influence is Alsace, France. Considering they boarder Germany, and once were part of it, I know it is an extreme example.)

The main influence is the presence of "kuchen". This word has replaced any Spanish word for cake and can be found on roadside stands along with "queso" (cheese), and various eating goods. We even had some served to us for breakfast, which was quite the treat.

Grapes
For such a big wine exporting country I thought I would see more grapes. But considering the amount of land we covered, the amount of grapes has paled in comparison. This means there is a lot of potential for the wine industry to expand, as there is much land to move out to. I just wonder whether Chileans would allow for it to replace the land currently occupied by corn.

Chillan
We decided to drop in to visit the market, which was supposed to be open daily until 6pm. It was before 4pm, so we had plenty of time. The town was a ghost town, except for a few people walking the streets. Finding the market, it too was sparse, with only a few stands. Disappointing, but can't really fault it considering it was Sunday evening.

Talca
We arrived in good time and found our accommodations with relative ease. It was another urban form of cabanas, and was bloody hot. With little movement in the air, our cabin was an oven. So went out in search of food or a market to get a cervesa. Again, ghost town. The places suggested by Lonely Planet didn't even exist, so we kept walking in hope to find something open. Luckily we didn't have to walk too far and were happy enough just to eat.