The coffee question

I received a good question from a friend back home in the US.
Can you get good chocolate or coffee in Chile?
The answer is YES, BUT.

I thought before moving to Chile that I would find excellent coffee because I would be living on the same continent as Columbia. However, good coffee is seen as a luxury here. So most people stick with NesCafé's powdered coffee. If you order a coffee at an average small restaurant you will get a cup of hot water and a individual packet of NesCafé. People say that the powdered coffee here is better than the US, I can't tell the difference. Another thing, is that depending on where you live in the US you might actually be closer to Colombia than I am. I am at the end of the world here. Well, I might as well be considering flight prices.

As for chocolate, I think its good here. I am talking about chocolate that is made here and is inexpensive. My friend here from the UK says that its crap. However, I am sure we can all agree that its better than Hershey's back in the US. I am not so interested in the chocolate here. Because there are amazing chilean desserts. So much better than in the US! My favorite might be Tres Leches. Also there is wonderful ice cream, flan, pastrys and they can put dulce de leche in anything!

So the answer is YES - you can find good coffee and chocolate in Chile. But you may have to pay alot for it, especially in comparison to the average chilean salary. In my experience, the average chilean rarely shells out money for indulgences such as these.
The coffee and chocolate question brings up a related topic - the lack of options in the grocery store and other stores. I, for one, don't mind this about Chile. In the grocery store, there are less choices to be made and very few imported foods. This is a big difference from the Chile to the US. I have learned since living outside, that in the US you can get a huge variety of practially everything(especially if you live in a big city). For example, at Whole Foods you can get chocolate from about 5 different countries. That's alot of options.

Fancy coffee might be in short supply here in Chile, but what other country can boost "Cafe with Legs" (Cafe con piernas)? The traditional "cafe con piernas" is where the women serve coffee wearing short skirts and heels. They are mainly frequented by businessmen and are seen as respectable. Also, there are cafes where the women wear less, much less. Or so I am told.

Regardless of the imported food options, I am in a vegetable heaven here. Not to mention fruits, seafood, home-made bread, and many more yummy things. The trick is to learn to enjoy what is available in Chile. And then life is pretty sweet!

Another note: the weather in Chile is fabulous! For the past 8 months, its mainly been sunny and at least 70s degrees high. Its like year-round summer! OK, possibly an exaggeration there. But, I tell you what I don't miss Starbuck when I'm at an outdoor cafe in winter.