Patagonian Traditions
Argentinians are very proud of the fact that their country is the most European of all the countries of South America and you will be surprised by the rich mixture of native traditions and those more European: gauchos who speak Welsh, Welsh-looking ladies drinking mate and tango competitions in the Eisteddfod! Argentina is such a vast country and the traditions vary greatly from north to south but here are some of the more obvious traditions you will see on your travels through Patagonia:
Mate – this is drink made from the leaves of a plant which is related to holly. It can be drunk bitter or with lots of sugar and it takes time to get used to the taste. Certainly nothing like a cup of tea from home! The cebador (the one who shares the mate) pours hot, but not boiling, water over the leaves which are put in a cup also called a mate. The cup is a hollowed-out gourd and some are decorated with silver or are carved or painted (a good souvenir!). The liquid is then sucked up a straw with a strainer at the end, the bombilla : traditionally made from bamboo many are now made of silver or other metals. There is no caffeine in the drink but matein does have effects on the body (helps digestion, calms the heart) but without the nasty side-effects of coffee. But perhaps more important than the drink is the ritual: the cebador passes the mate with the right hand clockwise and the recipient has to drink the drink emptying the cup without touching the bombilla.
Asado – a vegetarian nightmare or the best barbecue in the world! Meat roasted over the fire, beef or lamb, and if you are lucky enough to be invited to a farm you will eat the freshest and most organic meat you have ever tried!
A Welsh tea –by now, what with working hours and family habits, tea is not an important meal in Wales apart from maybe on the occasion of a birthday but bus loads of Argentinians flock to Gaiman (in the Chubut Valley) and to Trevelin (in the Andes) to sample the te Galés. Homemade bread, homemade scones, homemade jam, perhaps a little cheese, then an assortment of cakes like the cream tart, chocolate cake, fruit tarts and torta negra – like our fruit cake – all washed down with teapot after teapot of tea! Don't even consider a tea and an asado on the same day!
The Eisteddfod – if you are used to an Eisteddfod back home in Wales perhaps the opening ceremony of the Eisteddfod del Chubut will come as a bit of a shock! Tango dancers swirling about the stage to music straight from the streets of Buenos Aires? Or a Welsh folk dance with a group playing Argentinian instruments? There'll be plenty of variety!
Gauchos – the Argentinian version of the cowboy of North America. You are sure to see them on their horses at the side of the road in the Andes or as you cross the desert. Historically wandering in search of work, masters at working with horses – and knives! - they represented the wild side of life; the landowners and the intellectuals didn't like them very much and saw them as a danger and by today they are fewer in number than ever due to the changes in the lifestyle of the country.