TRADITIONS OF ARGENTINA

South America was explored by the Spanish in 1514- 1519, and navigated along the coast from the north, they discovered what is today known as the River Plate estuary. Exploring the river inland they came across the Parana River and built a fort. Gold and silver were found there in the hands of the natives, and that is how the Spaniards really became interested in the region and by 1535-36 ships started to arrive and the first colony was formed. At first the natives gave them food, but after a while stopped doing so, and battles began. The city (Buenos Aires) was then fortified. Later they began the fort of Asuncion where today there is a city of the same name.

Little by little they started populating the northern area, from Buenos Aires-the new port to connect to Spain – into Peru. The Portuguese were out exploring around the same time as the Spaniards and the reigning Pope decided where each should have their limits and what is now Brazil was the Portuguese territory about the beginning of 1700. In the 17th Century, the power was arranged by the king of Spain, with his representative in charge, and the people having no say in the matter. In 1808, after many conflicts, Montevideo (Uruguay) got its own government.

In 1776 with the revolution of the colonies of North America, it became necessary the opening of ports in Spanish America for English commerce. In 1806 The English arrived, took charge of the fort of Buenos Aires and promised the people freedom from the Spaniards, but the country people rose up against this new invader and joined up with forces from Spain, and beat them. The people feeling their new power formed fresh armies, and again defeated the English in heavy invasions. .

The Spaniards then set up laws stating that the colonies were totally dependent on the crown and there was a military group in charge of it all and set up a Constitution. They decided to do away with the dependence to the throne and set about the removal of the Monarch’s representatives. But the people rose against them, and this lead to the revolution of May (25th May 1810) There were battles everywhere among the realists and the patriots. The Patriots already had their own flag imposed by general Belgrano, sky blue at the top, a white strip in the center and a sky blue strip at the bottom, representing the sea, clouds and sky . Flag day is 20th June, the anniversary of the death of Belgrano. With independence on the 9th of July 1816 a sun was incorporated into the center of the flags, to represent the union with the Incas of Peru.

General Güemes was in charge of combating the Spaniards who came from the north from Peru with his army of Gauchos who wore red ponchos. And General San Martin (considered the “Father of the Republic”) was in charge of protecting the Andes with his army on horseback.

The Independence act was signed on 9th Julio 1816 with a military group in power. The first President was Bernadino Rivadavia. Since then there have been 54 presidents to the actual Nestor Kirchner

The poncho is a piece of gaucho clothing. It is a rectangle of wool, vicuna, felt or other type of cloth, with an opening in the center for the head to pass through, in such a way that it falls over the shoulders, and reaches just below the knees. Its serves the purpose of an overcoat, while rolled around the arm it acts as a shield to stop the blows from enemy knives in fights; keeps one warm while riding and in a blanket at night.

During the war of the Independence of Argentina, General Martin Miguel de Güemes called his army “The Hell men” and had the ponchos of his gauchos dyed red to differentiate them from the Spaniards. These days the poncho has strengthening in the opening and sometimes has a bow, passed down from the Hispanic colonization. The contemporary poncho is made from two pieces joined by embroidery called randa. Some ponchos are made from one piece and have a false seam for show, like those in the south of the country.
The mourning strip: After the death of Güemes, the Gauchos of the region included black strips as a signal of mourning for their general.

Wool from different animals can be used; vicuna, llama, guanaco, sheep, the colour and quality varying according to the part of the body it is from.

In the old days, dye was extracted from the bark and fruit of trees, plants and weeds, since these colours were permanent, and resist the sun, soap and time. Modern dyed would not last ten hours a day in the sun. The darkest colour came from the bark and peel of older trees, the lighter colour from younger ones, willow dyed vicuna being the ones of highest value.

• A poor man’s poncho; An expression alluding to being the only refuge of poor people on the plains
• Drag the poncho; It is a provocation to fight with the enemy or whoever dares to tread on the garment.
• Tread or step on the poncho; accept the challenge of the owner to fight.
• Make someone tread on the poncho; during a fight, back away dragging the poncho before you, making the opponent tread on it. Then with a tug, the poncho is pulled from under him causing him to fall. It is a trick used in a knife fight, or as a means of defense.
• Tread on your own poncho; to make a mistake, or something has gone wrong for one.
• Loose your poncho to a woman; be head over heels with her, and so loose the ability to think straight.
• There is no one to tread on his poncho; he is the best in his line, no one can beat him.
• What’s he got under his poncho?; What has he come for? What is he hiding? What’s the outcome of this?

Clay Oven

It’s a useful piece of equipment, easy to build

This is a traditional oven, usually outdoors and complimentary to the usual cooking facilities of a home or a farm. Its origin goes back to before Roman times when it was used for baking bread. As a closed element heated by solid fuel, it was used for the first time in the Americas by the colonies in the XVII century.

The taste and aroma of food cooked in one of these ovens is different, superior and almost primitive. The clay oven achieves a complete natural and tasteful cooking and the cook acquires an experience in the art of wood fire cooking which gives the meals a special country like flavour. There are many different forms of clay oven, but the one shown here is very much from the PAMPAS

In different provinces of Argentina they make different style pasties (empanadas) and the traditional way of cooking them is in a clay oven, - sometimes referred to as the “devil’s cave” where they acquire the best tone on the outside, flavour and grade of juiciness on the inside.. After that comes, breads, different meats, chickens, fish, potatoes…..

In these clay ovens it works from the heat accumulated in its floor and walls once the FIRE has gone out. The usual measurements for a home oven is 1,00 to 1,30 meters in diameter, by 0,50 to 0,65 meters high.

For years we wanted to build one of these ovens, since my husband’ s speciality – pasties from his province of Salta north west Argentina, - are very popular with people he knows, but we just never got round to it. He has now installed a special oven which takes trays of 55 at a time

El Mate ( pronounced as two syllables “ma-te”.

Some time ago during a chat, the subject of pumkins and gourds came up. I mentioned that in Argentina, ( and in fact many countries of South America) they use small hand sized gourds, specially “cured” for an infusion which in fact is more popular than drinking tea or coffee. I thought it would be interesting to write a little about this custom, which, needless to say is “not my cup of tea”!!

There is in fact quite a tradition attached to the “Art of Drinking Mate” as well as several legends.

The container can be a variety of things, most tradionally a small cured gourd, or a hollowed out wooden handleless cup – even the wood must be carefully selected and must never be pine, or it could be of bone, ceramic or special thermal plastic.... though these are not appreciated by the real mate drinkers. The gourds and wooden containers are often carved and / or decorated with silver and become very “personalized”.

The beverage, or infusion is a coarse green tea, grown in plantation in the North of Argentina upwards and is usually sold by the kilo, there being many brands. The cup is ¾ filled with the herb, then hot, (not boiling) water is added. It is drunk through a metal straw with a filter in the end, refilled then passed on to the next person, the tip of the straw being wiped by the “mate master” in turn.

Usually just one person is in charge of the refilling, the gentle mixing, and deciding when the herb needs to be replaced, ( when it looses its flavour) in which case in any sitting about half gets renewed at any one time. The order of sipping is usually strictly maintained.

Different meanings are attached acording to if you have it “neat” or with a little sugar, or honey, or lemon rind, or mint, or cinnamon etc, and sometimes the herb has medicinal or instestinal properties.

It is very common to see people sipping mate in almost any kind of situation and at any time of the day, more so when there are two or a group of people gathered, one being in charge of the kettle or the thermos flask, and it is common equipment on days out, journeys, sitting on the beach or anywhere else. My daughter says that they even have the mate circulating in university lectures!

The word “Tradition” is derived from latin and means inheritance. Tradtion is a collection of customs, rites and usages, that are passed down from gerneration to generation.

The tradition of a people is something that identifies them and makes them different from the rest, something deep and belonging. Each community as its own traditions, which are shown in the way they live, in their art and are conserved over time.

In Argentina, The Day of Tradition is the 10th November, in memory of the most traditional poet, Jose Hernandez, the creator of “Martín Fierro” who was born on 10th November 1834. He wrote articles and books about the Argentine Gaucho ( country worker or common soldier) and their struggles against the Indians and fronteer battles., back in the days when Argentina was still a very young Independant country.

• Where bread is eaten, crumbs remain.
• Offer something doesn’t make you poor
• The more you live , the more you learn.
• Where drink enters, knowledge leaves.
• Tree that grows twisted can never be straightened
• When the well is empty, you know the value of water
• Thunder in November means a good harvest ( southern hemisphere here)
• Don’t stretch your legs if you sleep in a short bed.

A BBQ in the country