So today starts out with the clouds covering the bay and the wind was blowing a cool air through the town. We boarded a bus and headed out for the blueberry fields that were about an hour ride to the north. We met up with the folks that were taking us before we got on the bus. Two gentlemen from Hortifruit of Chile, Gustavo and Ramiro. As we rode you could see the sun trying to burn through the clouds, we kept our fingers crossed. When we arrived we were taken into a small meeting room were the guys gave us a quick run through on the company. Turns out that they are the number 1 provider of berries to the world. They have a partnership with two other companies and are distributed in the USA under the name Naturipe Farms, maybe you have seen them in the local stores. It is pretty amazing the volume of berries that they produce.
Along with Blueberries they grow blackberries, red currants, raspberries and strawberries. These are the bulk of the business with a few other specialty items as well. The grow in Chile, The US, Mexico and Argentina and their mission is to provide high quality berries to the market year round. It was actually a great presentation and gave us a good education on some of the products that we use most.
By the time that the presentation ended the sun was out and only a few clouds remained. This was perfect because we now were headed out to the fields to see the berries and most of all, eat them. We were shown three varieties of blueberries that were growing in the same field and were let loose on them. They were amazing, I have never seen berries this big, I kid you not some of them were as big as a quarter with the majority being as big as nickels. The difference in flavors between the three was so noticeable as well. One more acidic, one more sweet and one that was very floral in flavor. They all packed a great punch and were delicious. We continued through the vast fields picking away at the berries as needed. We got to see how they are harvested and the folks that do all of that. Everything is picked by hand and then sorted by hand and then finally boxed into the clamshells by hand. It was really unbelievable. There were a ton of workers in the field just picking and boxing the berries. They all loved getting their pictures taken and many even struck a pose for us. 
Next were the red currant fields, these were great. I love red currants and you don’t often get to see them on the vine in huge rows. They were a bit tart but very juicy and beautiful in color. These are even more labor intensive as the workers have to snip the individual branches that they are on off with a pair of scissors and then place them right into the clamshell. It looked like not so much fun picking these and getting them ready for market. Most of the berries on the farms are for fresh delivery, that is, they are not used for jams, juice or frozen products. They do have some fields that they plant for frozen products but not 
much. We continued to stroll through the fields enjoying the sun and the berries every chance we got. It was really interesting to learn that 70% of the berries that this company produces are organic. Since this is the trend that is dominating our markets these days, it great knowing that these guys have been doing it for a long time.Finally we boarded out bus and headed back to Puerto Varas where we were scheduled to have 
lunch. The folks from Hortifruit had made special arrangements at a great local restaurant. We arrived and the place was really cool and had views looking down into the lake down below. The house that had been converted into a restaurant was well appointed. We were led into a bar area by the owner and then they brought out some cocktails and appetizers. These were very cool; the traditional Pisco Sour came out along with a house special called the Imperial Sour. Imperial was the name of the restaurant. All we could find out was that it had raspberry in it; the rest of the recipe was a house special. Also brought out was deep purple liquid that we learned to be straight blackberry juice. They had made it for us in the back as we were sitting there and it tasted great, really light and not sour at all. To go with the drinks we had a shrimp ceviche that came out on Asian spoons and a smoked salmon with a honey and mustard seed sauce. These were both delicious and a nice start to the meal. When it was time for lunch we headed to the dining room and found a plated salad waiting 
for us. It was a local crab salad with some fresh greens and a dab of fresh raspberry sauce. The crab and raspberries went surprisingly well together and made for a nice light start to the meal. We had that paired with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, which down here are much more grassy and crisp than the ones that I am used to back home. It was really nice. The main course was
roasted pork tenderloin that was served with a mushroom and fava bean risotto; a mixed berry mélange accompanied the pork and went really well with it. The wine for this course was a Chilean Carmenere, now on of my favorites. For dessert there was a crème brulee that was made with a local fruit and was quite sweet, so for me that was enough, too sweet. A nice espresso to finish off the lunch was perfect. Gustavo and Ramiro then presented us each with this beautiful book on blueberries. It was a really nice gesture and we all loved them, so much so that we had both of them sign copies for us all. Too funny. Then it was time to get back on the bus and head for the airport in Puerto Montt. Our flight back to Santiago was set for 5:45 pm and we made it with plenty of time. Here was said good bye to two folks from our group, John Hawkins and his wife. The decided to take a couple of extra days in the region and were driving for Patagonia and Chiloe. That was one place that I wanted to see too but just could not get it in this time, maybe next time. I can’t wait to see the pictures that they bring back on Saturday when we all meet up for our trip back home. Getting back to the hotel in Santiago around 8:30 pm was the limit for me. I was done, hot, tired and just worn down a bit. So for me the rest of the night was spent relaxing in the room and calling it an early night. Some of the other went out for dinner but I had enough. Dinner around here does not start until 9 pm or so and that is quite late for Americans. Maybe tomorrow night. We are scheduled to see the outdoor markets tomorrow in Santiago so that should be fun. 
This two day trip down to the southern part of Chile was really interesting and fun. I am really glad that we were able to see that side of the culture and countryside. Most of the population of the country is centered around the larger cities like Santiago so seeing the smaller more removed parts of the country were a real treat. Eating things like Conger Eel that came right out of the water and berries right of the vines are some things most people don’t get the opportunity to do, so it is important to appreciate it and enjoy it to the fullest. I am back in Santiago and have fallen a bit behind on the blog; I am sitting by the pool trying to catch up a little so that when I get back in a couple of days I will have it all done.
Until the next time.
lunch. The folks from Hortifruit had made special arrangements at a great local restaurant. We arrived and the place was really cool and had views looking down into the lake down below. The house that had been converted into a restaurant was well appointed. We were led into a bar area by the owner and then they brought out some cocktails and appetizers. These were very cool; the traditional Pisco Sour came out along with a house special called the Imperial Sour. Imperial was the name of the restaurant. All we could find out was that it had raspberry in it; the rest of the recipe was a house special. Also brought out was deep purple liquid that we learned to be straight blackberry juice. They had made it for us in the back as we were sitting there and it tasted great, really light and not sour at all. To go with the drinks we had a shrimp ceviche that came out on Asian spoons and a smoked salmon with a honey and mustard seed sauce. These were both delicious and a nice start to the meal. When it was time for lunch we headed to the dining room and found a plated salad waiting 
for us. It was a local crab salad with some fresh greens and a dab of fresh raspberry sauce. The crab and raspberries went surprisingly well together and made for a nice light start to the meal. We had that paired with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, which down here are much more grassy and crisp than the ones that I am used to back home. It was really nice. The main course was
roasted pork tenderloin that was served with a mushroom and fava bean risotto; a mixed berry mélange accompanied the pork and went really well with it. The wine for this course was a Chilean Carmenere, now on of my favorites. For dessert there was a crème brulee that was made with a local fruit and was quite sweet, so for me that was enough, too sweet. A nice espresso to finish off the lunch was perfect. Gustavo and Ramiro then presented us each with this beautiful book on blueberries. It was a really nice gesture and we all loved them, so much so that we had both of them sign copies for us all. Too funny. Then it was time to get back on the bus and head for the airport in Puerto Montt. Our flight back to Santiago was set for 5:45 pm and we made it with plenty of time. Here was said good bye to two folks from our group, John Hawkins and his wife. The decided to take a couple of extra days in the region and were driving for Patagonia and Chiloe. That was one place that I wanted to see too but just could not get it in this time, maybe next time. I can’t wait to see the pictures that they bring back on Saturday when we all meet up for our trip back home. Getting back to the hotel in Santiago around 8:30 pm was the limit for me. I was done, hot, tired and just worn down a bit. So for me the rest of the night was spent relaxing in the room and calling it an early night. Some of the other went out for dinner but I had enough. Dinner around here does not start until 9 pm or so and that is quite late for Americans. Maybe tomorrow night. We are scheduled to see the outdoor markets tomorrow in Santiago so that should be fun. 
This two day trip down to the southern part of Chile was really interesting and fun. I am really glad that we were able to see that side of the culture and countryside. Most of the population of the country is centered around the larger cities like Santiago so seeing the smaller more removed parts of the country were a real treat. Eating things like Conger Eel that came right out of the water and berries right of the vines are some things most people don’t get the opportunity to do, so it is important to appreciate it and enjoy it to the fullest. I am back in Santiago and have fallen a bit behind on the blog; I am sitting by the pool trying to catch up a little so that when I get back in a couple of days I will have it all done.
Until the next time.
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