Experiencing
the culinary sensations emanating from Uruguay revolves around a distinct
culture. The capital city’s called Montevideo. The country itself hosts a
population 
of 3.7 million people. Typical La Cultura Gauchesca or gaucho
culture remains a strong presence in terms of the gastronomy delights in Uruguay.
The gaucho’s possess excellent horsemen skills riding half-wild pingo horses.
The presence of gaucho cuisine in contemporary Uruguay remains strong even
today.
A true
gaucho drink revolves around the unusual name of mate. Mate’s a bitter tea-like
drink made from the yerba mate plant typically placed in a hollowed gourd and
then sipped through a tube. Because of the high caffeine content it’s
considered a stimulant. Mate also includes other healthier nutrients besides a
high caffeine count.
Other
national drinks include clerico (wine mixed with fruit juice) and medio-y-medio
(a wine and champagne mix). In addition cana and grappa remain widely
available. Typical whiskey and gins are produced at local distilleries within
Uruguay.
The
traditional diet of Uruguay remains primarily red-meat from the abundant cow.
The influence from gaucho as an equestrian ethnic group remains similar to North
American cowboys and Ukrainian Cossacks. With the introduction of cattle and
horses by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, brave horsemanship as well as
the cattle food source became the norm in Uruguay.
Typical
dishes influenced by gaucho culture commonly found in Uruguay consist of the
following:
•
Asado (barbecued meat)
• Asado
de tira (short ribs)
•
Parrillada (beef and entrails)
• Bife de
chorizo (rump steak)
• Chivito
(a hefty steak sandwich served with cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, ham, olives
and pickles)
•
Morcilla dulce (sweet black sausage made from blood, orange peel and walnuts)
Marcella salada (salty sausage)
• Dulce
de leche (popular gaucho milk sweets)
• Chaja
(ball-shaped sponge cake filled with cream and jam)
• Faina
(chickpea flour pancake)
Pork
sausage traditionally gets served as an appetizer in Uruguay. For those who
savour a more subtle taste barbecued lamb gets consumed in large quantities,
especially in rural areas. It’s customary at rural banquets for entire cows to
get barbecued with their hides still intact.
Uruguay
remains South America's 4th largest wine producer after Argentina, Chile and
Brazil. Uruguay’s often referred to as the "Land of Tannat” the Tannat
(Harriague) grape remains the best known grape in Uruguay. Ever since its
introduction in 1870 by a Basque family the gape has flourished in the rich
fertile soils. Uruguay remains the largest world producer of Tannat
Further
exquisite red wines include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and
Syrah. White wines traditionally found in abundance include Sauvignon Blanc and
Chardonnay. Smaller plantings exist of Pinot Noir, Marsanne and Viognier exist
throughout the 280 Uruguayan wineries.
Around 24
of these wineries (which function as small, family-owned businesses) export
wines to the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Central America, Canada,
Asia and several countries in Europe. In total 9000 hectares of vineyards exist
in Uruguay with the main wine producing areas centring on Montevideo, San Jose,
and Canelones.
Other
notable vineyards exist at the Colonia del Sacramento as well as an interesting
remote location in Rivera, on the northern border with Brazil.
The ideal
places to experience true Uruguayan cuisine can be found around the lesser
known Punta del Este area, the hot springs near Salto, or the hustle of the
capital Montevideo. For the true gaucho experience spend a night or two at an
estancia (a large rural estate), amidst the wide-open plains of true gaucho
country.
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