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Junk Food Spanish – Santiago, Chile

This weekend, I decided to indulge in a little junk food. Yep, I said it — Junk food! It’s the weekend, so whatever! But even while I was snacking, I thought… “Why not turn this into a mini Spanish lesson?” Let’s call this “Junk Food Spanish.”

Follow along with the video for best results:

My First Taste of Gansito

So the junk food I grabbed this time was Gansito—a little snack cake I had never tried before. It’s alright. I mean, I ate the whole box, so it must have been pretty good. Not the best junk food I’ve ever tasted, but it definitely did the trick.

Each box came with four little cakes, and I said I was just going to eat one. Next thing I knew, I had eaten the whole thing. I was already on the last one by the time I started filming this, and let’s be real — I tore it up.😋

Spanish from the Gansito Box

Now let’s break down some of the Spanish straight off the packaging. This is real-world, functional stuff. You’ll probably get the munchies too, so this might come in handy!

“Cuatro Pastelitos” – Four little cakes.
“Pastel” is cake, so “pastelitos” are little cakes.
“50g por unidad” – 50 grams per unit.
“Unidad” means “unit” or “each one.”
“Alto en azúcares” – High in sugar.
“Alto en grasas saturadas” – High in saturated fats.
“Alto en calorías” – High in calories.

This is standard labeling in many Latin American countries. They make it very clear what you’re getting into, health-wise. But let’s be honest: it’s the weekend, I got the munchies, and I just wanted to enjoy some junk food, so don’t judge me.😏

What Is a “Bizcocho”?

The label also said:
“Bizcocho relleno y con cobertura sabor chocolate.”

So, let’s break that down:

“Relleno” – Filled.
“Cobertura sabor chocolate” – Covered in chocolate flavor.
“Bizcocho” – This one stumped me at first.

I wasn’t 100% sure what “bizcocho” meant, but I looked it up and it means sponge cake. That’s ok, you may not always know what every single word means (even in your native language). So don’t be too hard on yourself, just keep practicing!

Spanish has a Rhythm — Listen for It

One thing you’ll start to notice when you look at packaging like this—or just listen to native speakers—is that Spanish has a rhythm. A lot of the words rhyme or follow similar patterns. Once you tap into that, your Spanish will start to flow like an elegant dancer on the dance floor.

All those words like contáctanos, síguenos, escríbenos — they’ll start to feel like lyrics once you catch the rhythm.

Where I Bought It: Lider in Santiago

I picked up the Gansitos at Lider, which is basically the Walmart of Chile. In fact, it is Walmart — just under a different name. Walmart bought them out back in 2009 and they’ve been operating here in Santiago ever since, quietly doing their thing under the Lider name. Big up to Walmart for that global expansion!

Final Thoughts

So there you have it… Your quick “Junk Food Spanish” lesson for the day. Whether you’re in Santiago or somewhere else in Latin America, snack packaging can be a surprisingly useful way to pick up everyday Spanish.

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