La Piojera

Santiago, Chile

A legendary dive bar near Santiago's Mercado Central, open since 1916. The name means "the flea pit," a nickname given by a visiting president who found the place too rough. The regulars took it as a badge of honor. Terremoto (white wine, pineapple ice cream, and Fernet) is the signature drink. The food is blunt and filling: longaniza plates, arrollado, pernil. Plastic tables, loud conversation, and zero pretension.

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Sausages served here

Longaniza Chilena

Ñuble, Chile

Chile's go-to fresh pork sausage, seasoned with ají de color (Chilean paprika), cumin, garlic, and oregano. Some makers add merkén, a smoked chili from the Mapuche tradition, for extra heat. The grind is coarse, the casing thin, and the links either coiled into spirals or strung out long. Every asado in Chile starts with longaniza on the grill, split lengthwise and charred until the fat crackles. The sausage shows up on street carts stuffed into marraqueta bread with pebre, the cilantro-onion-chili salsa that goes on everything.

freshporkgrilled