Though there are plenty of vegetables in Chile, the cuisine tends to center on meat and fish, whether it's seafood, beef or chicken. The cuisine varies slightly from one region to another, mostly dependent on the relative strength of European influence. Proximity to the sea is another factor in determining food choices: in coastal towns you'll find a plethora of seafood, and further inland you'll find hearty country-style dishes, where beef and chicken replace seafood in many cases.

One of the most popular Chilean foods is actually a soup: caldillo de congrito which is a conger eel soup made with onions, potatoes and carrots. Another savory delight is ositones a la parmesana, scallops on the shells, covered in melted butter and grilled parmesan cheese.

If you're daring enough to eat raw seafood in a foreign country, taste the almejas con limon, or raw clams with lemon juice. Minced sea bass ceviche is another popular dish, as is palta reina - it's avocado filled with ham or tuna fish and covered with mayonnaise, served over a bed of lettuce. A typical summer dish, pastel de choclo, is a meat pie made of ground corn and beef, chopped onions and chicken, hard boiled egg, olives and raisins.

If you're not feeling particularly fishy or if you're looking for lighter fare, try an empanada or a sandwich. The sandwiches are ordinary, and range from grilled ham and cheese to chicken and avocado, meat and tomato, and even hot dogs with the works. Empanadas are everywhere - it's a matter of finding a filling that you like. The traditional empanada is cheese filled, and similar to a small calzone, though more adventurous ones incorporate seafood, chicken, meat or vegetables.

When you've finished your veggies and your mom says it's okay, try something sweet - just don't plan on taking a nap afterwards - these delectable desserts are so full of sugary goodness they'd keep a bear awake through winter.

Try a cake made with manjar, a filling and spread made from boiled milk and sugar -- some people say it tastes like caramel. One of the best is alfajor, a flat, round pastry filled with manjar and covered in chocolate. Or, try a berlin, a hole-less donut filled with manjar, jam, or jelly, with optional powdered sugar.

If you have a craving for something fruity, try the kuchen, a German fruit custard, or the kuchen de quesillo, a type of cheesecake - both are found in Southern Chile where the Bavarian influence is strong. Mote con huesillos is peachy-mote, a relatively flavorless cooked wheat, but when paired with dried peaches cooked with heaps of sugar, the balance is faultless. And if you're looking for something slightly more tropical, order papaya con crema, papaya preserves with whipped cream.

There are enough dining options in Chile that you'd never have to eat the same thing twice, unless you couldn't get enough the first time.

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