Curanto is a palatable savoury invention of Chiloé island. The indigenous inhabitants used to cook this nourishing meal composed of meat, seafood, and vegetables by putting everything in pits dug out of the ground on red stones heated by the bonfire. The products were then covered with Chilean rhubarb leaves and wet sacks so that the dish was ready in a short time—using this large style pressure cooker curanto can be cooked in only one hour. The traditional cooking method is fun, but too complicated and therefore today Chileans prepare curanto mostly in a pot or using the grill. The season is summer time as the peak of the shellfish harvest falls from November to February—likewise vegetables are found in abundance in summer. The only problem could be the so-called Chilean red tides leading to massive shellfish spoilage.
