One of visitors’ favorite spaces when traveling with Patagonia East River is the dining room; as lovers of good cuisine, we have designed a unique space where the chef prepares and cooks her own dishes in the company of customers. There are no barriers; the kitchen and the dining room are ready for the magic to happen.
“The open kitchen allows me to interact with the passengers, teach them about what I prepare, where the products come from, how they were prepared and why I incorporated this or that food into my kitchen, indicating the benefits of the products that are served from the appetizer to the dessert,” said Camila Vásquez, our Superior Level Technician in Gastronomy. Vásquez is a resident of the Patagonia East River Lodge and is specialized in herbalism and sustainable farming methods.
The Lodge was born thanks to sustainability. Located at the foot of the Andes Mountains in Northern Patagonia, and away from common paths, we are concerned about keeping the place as untamed as possible. One of our tasks is to incorporate practices that contribute to sustainability. Together with the manager of the kitchen and chef of the Lodge, our goal is to take advantage of the greenhouse and orchard.
We work to utilize native species, incorporating medicinal plants and a variety of flowers to give life to exquisite and delicate dishes. The idea is to cultivate the ingredients used in the kitchen. These include oyster and shiitake mushrooms, wild-harvested Morchella, vegetable drinks, yogurts and natural ice creams, and delicious energy bars that are part of the box lunch at Patagonia East River. To have a greater variety of food, we have invested in a new greenhouse for the winter season with the aim that both resident workers and visitors can enjoy the benefits and food from the garden.
The method that we want to implement in the greenhouse does not rely on combustion heating. Instead, through the use of manger guano to create hot beds, we look for native seeds, control pests through plants, and carry out organic soil management to grow crops.
Additionally, visitors can learn about the characteristics and benefits of wild native flowers and plants growing around us, such as the Chilco (magellanic fuchsia), known in popular medicine as the woman’s flower for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and the Rosehip (Rosa rubiginosa), appreciated worldwide for it’s cosmetic uses among many others.
Maintaining a sustainable space requires great work and dedication but we continue to strive towards sustainability because we are convinced that it is best for the care of this ecosystem. It also guides our visitors towards altruistic thinking for future generations. Our “Behind the Scenes” turns out to have been the basis for the start of settlement and survival thousands of years ago and could continue to be so.
In the meantime. the integrated kitchen at Patagonia East River is an intimate space designed to offer our guests love and dedication, as well as show them the real possibilities of incorporating a small garden at home.
About Patagonia East River:
Patagonia East River is an all-inclusive private lodge located near the Andes Mountains in Cochamo, Chile. Designed for visitors to connect with and experience nature in its wildest form, the lodge offers a variety of carefully crafted adventure activities and excursions to mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in addition to modern accommodations for guests.
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