Frutter and Choriza

A bag of prototype Frutter

An unexpectedly fun perk of the Start-Up Chile program is getting to test out other team's prototype food products!  So far both products we've tried are vegan, so it's looking like Chile's vegan marketplace is about to take off.

Pictured above is "Frutter" (pronounced "fruit-er" with the Spanish accent) a fruit-based vegan butter.  On a tangent about accents: my Start-Up Chile project is called "Co-op Connect," which sounds great in English.  Unfortunately, I'm quickly catching on that in Spanish it's quite difficult to pronounce "co-op", and most Chileans think it sounds like "cop"... so they're first instinct is that I'm creating a platform to help connect police!

Anyway, Frutter, is water-based so it can't be used for pan-frying but it is good candidate for baking.  To help the Frutter founders validate their product, Matt whipped up a batch of cookies and brownies.  Both had a very distinct flavor, which I liked but still prefer real better.  The one obvious pro was that the baked goods with Frutter had a very soft texture that reminded me of Madeline cookies.  We shared the cookies and brownies liberally all week and strengthened some local friendships in the process!!!

Next up is "Choriza", a vegan chorizo substitute.  While the packaging and appearance were very enticing, the flavor leaves much to be desired... overall they had a dry and baking-soda-ish flavor.  Kind of like bread?  But I'm hopeful for improvement... the two women founding "Choriza" are in my Start-Up Chile cohort and are working diligently to improve the formula!  Most teams in my cohort are working on digital solutions, so it's interesting to talk with the Choriza team- some extra challenges they face are importing vegan protein (with a 45-day lead time and steep taxes), health and sanitation certifications, and zoning laws regarding their incorporation.  

Two Choriza Sausages for a Test Lunch

Although the following are not Start-Up Chile prototypes, they are exotic vegan snacks we've been enjoying locally.

Cochayuyo - seaweed!  Chileans traditionally buy chochayuyo in large bundles at the market place to make into soup (see below).  However, one enterprising company has begun to sell it packaged as a dehydrated, crunchy snack.  While Karen enjoys it, Matt does NOT.

Cochayuyo in a Marketplace: Photo from Google Images

Cochayuyo- the Bite-Sized Snack

Café de Trigo - a toasted wheat caffeine-free beverage.  Brewed like normal coffee and similar in taste!