Chileangourmet Merken

Bonnie: Ever feel as if someone’s watching out for you? I certainly did in February when I left Santiago, Chile just a couple of hours before the devastating earthquake hit. Literally.

I was there as a guest of ASOEX (the Chilean export association) to learn about their fresh produce operation. Impressive. And, such an advanced operation that it included weather text alerts to farmers.

While there – of course – we sampled the delicious foods and cuisine of Chile. (Stay tuned to read more about those dining experiences in our TidBite section). At our very first meal, our host, Fernando, got my attention when he sprinkled and mixed in some chili-like, copper-colored powder into the rich, green Chilean olive oil.

“Merken,” he responded when asked what it was, “Chile’s most popular spice and a product of the Mapuche,” the native people of the region.

This indigenous spice is a blend of dried and smoked red chilies (ají cacho de cabra – or “goat’s horn”), toasted coriander seeds and salt.

According to Paulina Peñaloza, co-founder of Chileangourmet, “When you buy a jar of Merken, you are helping to support the 70 Mapuche families who grow and smoke chilies.”

Paulina reported to me that the Mapuche families were doing fine after quake.

We followed Fernando and dipped our bread into the oil he had mixed with the Merken; it has a smoky flavor with a smidgen of heat. Try it on any food where a smoky flavor would enhance it – on beef, chicken, fish, poultry or veggies.

Note: I’ve learned that ASOEX has launched a relief effort for victims of the earthquake aimed at financing the reconstruction efforts in the affected rural areas of the country. For more information, visit chileanfreshfruit.com/

Bryan: Chileangourmet is a boutique food company, solely devoted to introducing its customers to the country of Chile, through the tastes and smells of traditional foods, Chileangourment currently provides the best selection of gourmet products emanating from Chile.

Established in 2005 as a company focused on escargot and beekeeping, Chileangourmet originally developed a network of local farmers dedicated to the production of honey. As the desire for more varied Chilean products arose, the company has now gone on to produce Merken. What is Merken, you ask? I have no idea… well, as it stands I had no idea. Now, I’ve read a bit.

Merken refers to a spice mixture that has existed for centuries amongst the Mapuche, the indigenous inhabitants of Southern Chile and Argentina. The mixture consists of a unique blend of dried and smoked red chilies, toasted coriander seed, and salt.

I didn’t really know what to expect, but I found myself utilizing the Merken spice in more than a few flavorful dishes; the experience is quite aromatic, with a smoky flavor reminiscent to me of smoked paprika, aged hot sauces, and chipotle rubs. A dash in my tuna salad was superb. It also made for an interesting marinade for southwestern chicken satay.

The spice comes ready to use, and is easily added to fish, shrimp, poultry, beef, vegetables, eggs, potatoes… your palate’s the limit. I thought one of the best suggestions was using it as an addition to olive oil when dipping bread.

Chileangourmet is committed to local, sustainable development in Chile.

Eric: I always find it exciting to come across new spices — they help to invigorate my cooking as well as add fresh perspective to many of my routine dishes. It’s amazing to me when I think about how many potential flavors there are that I have yet to encounter — the myriad herbs, plants, spices and seeds that exist — it seems that there could be an endless amount of flavor that has yet to be discovered.

I don’t know if I would personally consider Merken as one of the best spices I’ve tasted (to each, his own), but I do feel that it’s worth touting as a spice to taste. It has a similarity to smoked paprika, packed with the kick of a subtle cayenne. I imagine that for most “foodies,” tasting new spices is never a bad idea. So infuse it, rub it or blend it: You won’t be at all disappointed.