Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Gaucho: Symbol and Reality
There are macho cowboy figures throughout the Americas,
but few are as central to the national culture as the gaucho
is to Argentina. The earliest gauchos herded semi-wild
Cimarron cattle in the 17th century, often sleeping out in
the open pampas and riding into town to trade in leather
and tallow. This free-roaming life came to an end when the
vast interior was divided up into huge estancias (ranches) in
the 19th century. Modern-day gauchos still dress in their
traditional garb for major holidays and festivals, and many
are first-rate horsemen.
The gaucho and his favorite horse often
form a strong lifelong bond
Patagonian gauchos
, trained for
years, are expert shepherds.
The
asado
is an open-air
barbecue for grilling
cuts of meat. It is an
important community
ritual for gauchos and
country-dwellers. Here,
the griller is grilling
al cuero,
a method of
cooking meat with the
skin still attached.
Mate
is the traditional,
rather bitter green tea of
Argentina, Paraguay,
Uruguay, and southern
Brazil. Gauchos sip this
concoction during their
leisure hours.
The Gaucho Way of Life
The Argentinian estancia is often located far from
any major towns or suburbs. Surrounded by largely
unpopulated plains or barren hills, it is the classic
gaucho homestead, providing them with solitude
and freedom, close to the life they once led.
Sheep
are the most commonly raised
animal on an estancia, bred and
sheared for their wool.
Training horses
using
boleadoras
(heavily
weighted lassos) and breaking in willful colts
form part of the daily routine for many gauchos,
who are often expert horsemen.
The rhythms of the
milonga
, strummed on a
guitar and often accompanied by a “call-and-
response” story about some popular local drama,
are central to Argentina's rich folk tradition.
