Hello everyone! My name is Aleka Donthi, and I am currently studying abroad in Santiago, Chile for the Spring 2026 semester. It has been a month since I arrived, and one thing I love about the city thus far is how delicious and diverse the food is. Personally, I was a little nervous about studying abroad in Chile, given that I don’t eat a majority of the general Chilean diet, including beef, pork, and seafood. But one thing I am yet to struggle with here, is having food options, due to the wide array and availability of food for vegans, vegetarians, and chicken/turkey eaters.
Firstly, why is the food so good here? The geographical landscape of Chile is highly conducive to growing high quality and fresh produce, with natural geographical boundaries like the Andes Mountains, Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Desert. These boundaries protect farms and diminish environmental concerns. Chile also has a longer growing season and higher standards of quality and production making the produce especially delicious and tasty.
Moreover, Santiago is an extremely metropolitan city, with a variety of ethnic groups which shape the food scene within the city. A very popular Chilean food is the completo. The completo is a hot dog, which has mayo, avocado, and tomatoes. But if you don’t eat beef, you can try the chicken and vegan completos at restaurants like Dominos. Moreover, Santiago has many Peruvian restaurants which can serve both regular ceviche (which has fish) or alternative veggie options along with other chicken or vegetable based dishes (highly recommend aji de gallina, for those that eat chicken). Additionally, there is a large Palestinian population that lives in Santiago, so there are many Palestinian restaurants and cafes, as well as amazing Asian food, (highly recommend Ramen Kintaro in Bellas Artes).
Special mention for one of my favorite Chilean foods, manjar (dulce de leche). This dessert can come in many forms, from cake (torta), ice cream, snacks (cachitos), candy (my favorites are languito and rollo), or straight from the jar. If you like sweet drinks, Chile is also known for their refreshing mote con huesillo, an iced drink consisting of peach juice, a dehydrated peach, and huesillo (similar to corn). It’s very sweet and perfect on a hot day.
Ultimately, my time here so far has been nothing short of amazing in regards to the options of food. Every restaurant is absolutely delicious while adding their own twist to the cuisine and catering to a variety of different food types and preferences. Don’t let food be a reason to not study abroad in Chile!!
Aleka Donthi
Spring 2026
GW Chile - Spanish Track (GW Study Program)
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major