Share

The Chilean Completo

By Fernanda Luksic

The ubiquitous 'completo' epitomizes the fast food scene in Chile.

In the acclaimed Chilean web series “Gringolandia,” comedian Koke Santa Ana plays a befuddled visitor to New York who tries a hot dog from one of the city’s ubiquitous sidewalk vendors — only to recoil in disgust. A plain sausage enclosed in a tasteless bun seems underdressed by Chilean standards. The series then follows his homesick character’s quest to introduce New Yorkers to what Chileans consider a “real” hot dog: the completo.

Distinguished by their copious toppings, completos can include mayonnaise, tomato, shoestring potatoes, sauerkraut and, arguably, the...

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

Related

Explore