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FijiFlavors · La Ligua
Artisanal sweets made by families of confectioners from La Ligua and sold by vendors wearing white aprons and carrying baskets, in town and along the road. They have a geographical indication and are Chile’s intangible cultural heritage.
Traditional sweet from La Ligua, Valparaíso
Also known as: dulces chilenos de La Ligua, chilenitos
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Click a photo to enlarge it.
Dulces de La Ligua — La Ligua, Chile
Dulces de La Ligua is the name for a group of artisanal sweets made in the town of La Ligua, in the northern part of the Valparaíso region. Among the best known are chilenitos, thin pastry discs joined with manjar, the Chilean dulce de leche, and covered with meringue. The recipe and the method are passed down from generation to generation among families of confectioners.
As important as the sweet is the way it is sold. The vendors, dressed in white and carrying baskets, offer the sweets to travelers. The tradition is attributed to the 17th century and became widespread in the 19th century, when the train arrived in La Ligua and sellers would climb onto the carriages. Later, sales moved to buses and to Route 5 Norte, where it continues.
In 2014, the National Institute of Industrial Property of Chile registered the geographical indication Dulces de La Ligua, requested by the city’s manufacturers’ association. The tradition was also included in Chile’s register of intangible cultural heritage, which recognizes both the artisanal technique and the figure of the vendors with their dress and basket.
La Ligua , Valparaíso
Dulces de La Ligua have a geographical indication registered by INAPI for the commune, and their tradition is listed in Chile’s register of intangible cultural heritage.
Wheat flour, eggs, butter, sugar and manjar (dulce de leche); meringue made from egg whites and sugar to cover, depending on the type of sweet.
Eaten by hand, as a snack or with coffee or tea. They are often bought in boxes to take as gifts.
Travel snack and gift; highly sought after during the Fiestas Patrias in September and on busy weekend travel days.
Your questions
They are thin pastry sweets joined with manjar, the Chilean dulce de leche, and covered with meringue. They are among La Ligua’s best-known sweets.
Selling to travelers is part of the tradition: it began on trains in the 19th century, moved to buses, and later to Route 5 Norte, where vendors in white clothing and with baskets offer the sweets.
Yes. They have a geographical indication registered since 2014 by the National Institute of Industrial Property of Chile, and the tradition is included in the country’s register of intangible cultural heritage.
Flavors of Chile
Drink made from fermented grape must, slightly sweet, produced in Curacaví, near Santiago, with cooking in copper or stainless-steel vats. It has a designation of origin since 2017 and an annual festival.
Sweet shortcrust tart topped with seasonal fruits such as raspberry, strawberry, murta and currant, inherited from the German settlers of southern Chile. In Frutillar, it is the pastry served in the tea houses.
Earth oven of the Rapanui people: meats, fish, sweet potato, taro and banana slowly cooked on hot volcanic stones, wrapped in banana leaves. It is the most traditional preparation of Rapa Nui cuisine.
Shellfish, meats, sausage, potatoes and potato breads cooked in a hole in the ground, over hot stones, covered with large leaves. It is the dish most associated with Chiloé, in southern Chile.
Whole lamb opened on an iron cross and slowly roasted beside the fire, a dish of the sheep estancias of the Chilean Patagonia. It is the one most associated with the gastronomy of Magallanes.
Grape brandy with Chilean designation of origin, distilled from wine made from grape varieties defined by law in the regions of Atacama and Coquimbo. The Elqui Valley and the village of Pisco Elqui are its heart.
Hot sandwich of thin beef cooked on a griddle with melted cheese, usually served on marraqueta bread. It’s named after President Ramón Barros Luco, who used to order it in Santiago.
Pipeño wine drink with pineapple ice cream, sometimes with grenadine or fernet. Its name is linked to the bars of Santiago and the 1985 earthquake, and it became a drink of the Fiestas Patrias.
Platter of french fries topped with strips of beef, sautéed onion and egg, served for sharing. It is associated with Valparaíso’s traditional bars, where it became popular.
