Machas la parmesana or “Parmesan machas” is a dish made with the ''macha''. This is a saltwater clam, a

bivalve Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

that is native to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

used by ancient marine culture. This bivalve is known scientifically as '' Mesodesma donacium'' and in English is called either the pink clam, or the surf clam. The dish also includes

Parmesan Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months. It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' is ...

cheese.

History

This classic of Chilean cuisine was created more than 50 years ago in

Viña del Mar Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within the Valparaíso Region, and it is Chile's fourth largest city w ...

by the Italian immigrants Edoardo Melotti Ferrari and Adelfo Garuti at the Italian restaurant San Marco. There is no previous record of the dish before the 1950s.Machas a la Parmesana
Eating Chilean, June 30, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2013 The dish is popular along the coast of Chile, where the ''macha'' can be found in great numbers. It is prepared with the meat of the ''macha'' in one half of the shell, covered in Parmesan cheese, a little butter and seasoned with

white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without skin contact. The wine color, colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured Juice vesicles, ...

or a drop of lemon, and then baked for a few minutes.

Variations

There are several variations of this dish: the same ingredients can be combined in an

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...

paila A paila () is a type of cookware that in several Spanish-speaking South American countries refers to a large shallow metal pan or earthenware bowl which oftentimes is also used as a serving plate for the foods prepared in it. Dishes served in clay ...

''; the Parmesan can be replaced with the Chilean cheese queso mantecoso; it can be prepared with cream added or with sliced

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

added; and it can be made using other types of

clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two she ...

s rather than ''machas''.

References

External links

Chilean food
{{DEFAULTSORT:Machas a la parmesana Chilean cuisine

History

Variations

See also

References

External links