Of all the foods I've tried while studying abroad, from tree tomato (too musky) to chicken heart (too chewy) to roasted guinea pig (too little like bacon), there is one food that has won my heart and my stomach for good. It's a deceptively simple dish, just a few ingredients, and super easy to make. What is it, you may ask? Just walk down any city street in Santiago, and you're bound to run into vendors hawking this delicious snack: the sopapilla.
A mouth-watering specimen of fried bread, the sopapilla is basically a donut on steroids. Made with just flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening, this yummy carb-laden food is deep fried and topped with either spicy salsa or powdered sugar, depending if you're in the mood for a pre-dinner appetizer or a post-dinner sweet. Either way, you'll be getting a piping hot, freshly fried mound of airy dough that'll feel cloud-light in you mouth. When looking out for a sopapilla, be sure to get the thicker ones: the more height these little slices of heaven have, the fluffier they'll be underneath all that fried shell!
Can't make it down to Santiago to buy a sopapilla off the street? No worries! Just check out this recipe, which takes you step-by-step in making the best sopapillas you'll ever taste. Make sure to save some for me!
