Fusion of gastronomic traditions
Uruguay, a small jewel in South America, dazzles not only for its famous soccer players and its impressive landscapes, but also for its gastronomic offer. This country, unlike other South American countries, does not have an indigenous culture, and it is for this reason that the gastronomic customs of the immigrants were those that merged to generate similar foods, but which, after becoming distorted over time, are not recipes. faithful from the countries of origin. Furthermore, the cultural identity that Uruguay shares with Argentina, in many cases it generates historical confusion to really know the origin of some products from the Río de la Plata that are present in many gastronomic recipes from both countries. For example: dulce de leche, alfajores, fried cakes or quince pastries. All this makes Uruguay have a shared culinary identity.
In short, Uruguayan food could be defined as a mosaic of national creativity combined with influences from several European countries.
Emblematic dishes
We all already know asado, a practice that has taken root in Uruguayan society, where different cuts of beef, pork or lamb prepared on the grill are served. We may also be familiar with mate, an infusion notable for its bitterness, which they carry everywhere, along with a thermos containing hot water, so they can drink it throughout the day.
Discover the gastronomy of Uruguay with the chivito,
But, perhaps you have never heard of chivito (which has nothing to do with the animal), the typical dish par excellence of the gastronomy of this country. Maybe you don't plan to visit Uruguay, so for the moment I will share the recipe with you so that you can become fond of its culture. The presentation resembles that of a hamburger and the ingredients you will need are the following:
- Loin steaks
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Ham
- Mozzarella cheese
- Pancetta
- Eggs
- Olives
- Mayonnaise
- Hamburger 'bread
The quantities will vary according to your tastes, since each of the ingredients is like a topping, and you can decide how much you want of each one. To prepare it, you simply have to cook the meat and bacon, slice the vegetables and cook or fry the eggs. Then you will place the cheese on top of the meat while it finishes cooking so that it melts a little, and it is time to assemble everything on the bread.
The most important thing about chivito is how it is assembled, so that it does not fall apart when you are going to eat it. It is recommended that you have everything already prepared when you start assembling it, this way you will prevent it from falling apart, but it is an art that you will have to learn. A trick that Uruguayans sometimes use is to try to make the cheese surround the rest of the ingredients, in such a way that it is more difficult for them to slip.
Despite having told you how to do it, just as in Valencia they claim that the real paella is their own, Uruguayans say that to make the real chivito the fundamental condition is that you are Uruguayan.
