| Paila marina | |
| Country: | Chile |
| Region: | Central Chile, Zona Sur, Chile |
| Course: | Main |
| Type: | Stew, soup |
| Served: | Hot |
| Main Ingredient: | Seafood, shellfish, fish, shellfish stock, herbs, spices |
Paila marina is a traditional Chilean seafood soup or light stew usually served in a paila (earthenware bowl). It usually contains a shellfish stock base cooked with different kinds of shellfish and fish.[1] These are complemented with a variety of herbs and spices such as paprika and parsley.[2]
Onions, carrots, bell peppers tomatoes, fish and shellfish (in the shell) are fried together, fish stock is poured over them and the soup is simmered.[3]
It is traditional for groups of friends or family to go to the local seafood market and enjoy a paila marina, especially the morning after a party, when it is believed to aid recovery from a hangover.[4] On January 1, the historic seafood market Mercado Central de Santiago is one of the busiest places in Santiago; Chilean national newspaper La Nación reported that 28,000 people were expected to visit the market on January 1, 2010.[5] Popular belief also ascribes aphrodisiac properties to paila marina.[6]