Uruguay - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 829

pasta restaurants. Desserts ( postres ) also
bear an Italian influence and Uruguay's
confiterías (patisseries) and heladerías
(ice-cream parlours) are bursting with
delicious treats. Dulce de leche is an
irresistible type of caramel that you'll find
in almost any form on dessert menus
(and as part of your hostel breakfast to
spread on toast). The national snack is
the chivito , essentially a whopping burger
stacked with fried egg, ham, cheese and
bacon, but with a whole steak instead of
ground beef.
Uruguayans don't really do breakfast
- most cafés open around 10am, but
almost all hotels and hostels provide a
basic breakfast for tourists. Lunch is eaten
early, between noon and 1pm, making
time for the merienda or te : a sumptuous
afternoon tea - usually advertised for two
- full of sweet and savoury snacks along
with tea or coffee, which is taken around
5pm. Thanks to this tradition, dinner is
always late; you'll normally be eating on
your own if you arrive at a restaurant
before 9pm.
Restaurant prices are fairly high for
South America: the average price for
a lunch set menu is around US$10 in
Montevideo, and à la carte prices can be
much higher than this.

come in one-litre bottles (UR$5) fit for
sharing. Uruguayan wine is becoming
more prominent, especially the Tannat
grape which makes a fine red ( tinto ).
You may also see wine offered as medio y
medio which is a blend of sparkling and
slightly sweet white wine. Tap water is
fine to drink.

10

CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE
Uruguayans of all ages tend to be
warm, relaxed people, fond of lively
conversation over a beer or barbecue
( asado ). As a nation in which the
overwhelming majority of people are
descended from Italian and Spanish
immigrants, Uruguay also maintains
some conservative Catholic religious
and social practices, especially in the
countryside, although the coastal towns
are very liberal by South American
standards. Uruguayans display a rugged
sense of independence that recalls the
romantic figure of the gaucho , the
cowboys who still roam the grassy plains
of the interior. Women and men alike
greet each other with one kiss on the
cheek. It's usual to leave a ten percent
tip anywhere with table service.

SPORTS AND OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES
Ever since the first World Cup in 1930
was held in Uruguay and won by the
national team, football has been the sport
to raise the passions of the normally
laidback Uruguayans. In the countryside,
horseriding ( cabalgata ) is more a part
of working life than a sport, but there
are now many opportunities for tourists
to go riding - many hostels and most
estancias (see box opposite) offer

DRINK
Mate (pronounced mah-tey) is the
national drink and involves a whole set
of paraphernalia to partake in drinking
it (see box below). Coffee is the other
non-alcoholic drink of choice here,
and teas and bottled water are always
available, along with fresh juices and
smoothies ( licuados ).
When not clutching their thermos,
Uruguayans enjoy the local beers
- especially the ubiquitous Pilsen - which

THE ART OF DRINKING MATE
You are unlikely to walk down a single street in Uruguay without seeing someone carrying the
thermos, pots and metal straw ( bombilla ) required for mate . In a tradition that goes back to
the earliest gauchos, Uruguayans are said to drink even more of the grassy tea than Argentines,
and a whole set of social rituals surrounds it. At the close of a meal, the mate is meticulously
prepared before being passed round in a circle; the drinker makes a small sucking noise when
the pot needs to be refilled, but if this is your position, beware making three such noises: this is
considered rude.