In Uruguay, meal times have always served as a time for the family to gather together, oftentimes with everyone taking part in some aspect of preparing the meal, to enjoy quality time, as well as quality food. The main meal of Uruguay is called asado, which literally means roasted. Throughout Central and South American asados vary from country to county. In Uruguay the asado is made with a variety of meat, together with other animal parts, cooked in special ovens called parrilleros, over fire wood.

After mealtime, families may pass the hours playing truco, a traditional Uruguayan card game. Most also enjoy a cup of mate, a tea-like drink brewed from the dried leaves of the yerba mate. Traditional desserts are almost always made by adding ducle de leche to cookies or bread… although if you’ve got a sweet tooth like this Gringo, you may even enjoy it by itself!

If you want to enjoy a traditional meal, you could start with the asado. Another popular dish is milanesa, meat that has been breaded and then fried. As far as sandwiches go the chivito is top notch, and may contain bacon, eggs, onions, cheese, tomatoes, olives, mayonnaise or ketchup, although they can be made to order. Wash down your meal with clericó, a combination of different wines and fruit, or a glass of Tannat, considered to be one of the finest wines in the world.

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