The exquisite flavour of Chumbeque

by Claudia Castro

The chumbeque is a typical and characteristic sweet of the gastronomy of the north of Chile, especially of the city of Iquique. The chumbeque is made out of flour, oil, and three layers of cookie that can be filled with honey, dulce de leche, mango, chocolate and a bunch of other flavours. But the most traditional chumbeque is the one filled with lemon from Pica. On the other side the chumbeque is not very nutritious because is high in fat. One piece of chumbeque contains 376 calories.

The origins of the chumbeque come from the Chinese emigrants that came to Iquique at the beginning of the 20th century. The recipe came from the mix of a Chinese recipe to make alfajores combined with some products of the region. That is how the chumbeque emerged and now is known mainly in the northern region of the country.

In Iquique, Arturo Mejía Koo registered the chumbeque as a brand. Now it is distributed to all the north of Chile, Santiago and Punta Arenas. The store is on Ramírez Street, and for more than twenty years it has been the only store that sells and distributes chumbeques.

The chumbeque has remained popular through time because its consistency and exquisite flavour.