A delicious syrup, sweet like honey, made from small-sized fruits from the Chañar tree, known for its resistance to drought that flourishes so well in this area of the country. Perfect is the syrup to sweeten drinks and yoghurts, and as sauces for various preparations, as a base for puddings and mousse, among others.

This delicacy that can be found at the fair next to the square in San Pedro is of great contribution to the Atacama kitchen. Well known to our chef Rodrigo Villarroel who daily stresses its flavor in a dish prepared either as steak sauce in parfait or my favorite, chañar homemade ice cream. This, served in a crispy sweet tulip becomes the icing on the cake …me, as a major fan of  desserts, could not stop asking for it at least once a day and neither should you! A unique taste, a jewel of the highlands.

Hydration plays a key role in keeping our body healthy and feeling good, even more in a climate as extreme as in Atacama.

There are two common forms of hydrate: Drinking water, we drink 1.5 liters of water daily just to balance the losses and maintain adequate level of hydration. And eating fruits and vegetables, which typically contain about 90% of water.

In San Pedro there are several reasons for increasing the hydration, excessive sunlight, temperature changes, lack of oxygen by altitude, the desert and the intense activities that Atacama has for you and you will not want to miss. For all that it is important to follow these simple tips to not miss any minute of your stay.

Increase water intake and supplemented with iced tea and juices, avoid sodas and alcoholic beverages. Eat fruit, you will cool the heat and help you add fiber, vitamins and minerals to your diet. Some contain more water, as the watermelon, cantaloupe, cherries, peaches, kiwi, orange and apple. And in salads you can mix what you like, such as lettuce, cucumber and tomato all very moisturizing.

For details on skin care in the desert, click on this link.

With a balanced diet and plenty of water you will be ready to face the magnificent wilderness experience. Enjoy!

Picture: (cc) Northerngit

Some time ago I told you about Rica Rica, miraculous altiplanic herb commonly used in these areas. Well, to give you more reasons to try it, I will share today the delicious recipe of Gnocchi of Rica Rica with french red sauce, specialty of Alto Atacama.

Ingredients:
- Two potatoes
- 1 egg
- 40 grams of flour
- 4 grams of salt
- 10 grams Rica Rica
- 10 grams celery leaves
- 10 grams parsley
- 30 grams Parmesan cheese
- 5 cc of olive oil
- 100 cc tomato sauce
- 80 g tomatoes, diced
- 2 grams cloves
- 1 onion
- 50 cc tomato juice
- 5 grams thyme
- 5 grams rosemary

Preparation:
You must mix the cooked potatoes, mashed and hot with the egg yolk, grated cheese, parsley, celery leaves, Rica Rica, flour, salt and olive oil to form a soft dough. Then put the gnocchi in boiling water with salt and olive oil and cook until they float, then gnocchis should be strained and saute in olive oil. For the red sauce, peel the onion and add cloves in a pot then add butter, olive oil until golden. Then add the tomato sauce. Allow to reduce at least an hour or more, until sauce becomes consistent.

“Memoria Chilena Portal de la Cultura de Chile ” is a website with cultural content which is part of the initiatives of the commemoration for the bicentennial of our country this year 2010, which provides research and documents regarding key issues that shape the identity of Chile, accessible through the areas of History, Literature, Social Sciences, Music and Visual Arts.
This week www.memoriachilena.cl made the release of its book “A chuparse los dedos!…recetas de familia”, a collection of Chilean traditional preparations done through the users of this site, who in September of last year shared their culinary secrets which have stood the test of generations making possible this publication that can be downloaded free on the site.
The book, diagrammed as an old yellowed pages notebook, refers to the classical cooking books inherited from the grandmother sprinkled, rescuing and re-evaluating the culinary heritage of our culture, ensuring its continuity and development.
“A chuparse los dedos!” contains not only recipes but also accompanied by data relating to plates and are enriched with links to documents and websites report Chilean theme.
This digital book that spreads part of our identity as a town, soon will have the braille version … a book to enjoy with family and accessible to everyone!