Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, Gran Chaco, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Rio Grande do Sul in the south of Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, eastern and southern Bolivia and Southern Chile. Gaucho is an equivalent of the North American “cowboy”. The gaucho plays an important symbolic role in the nationalist feelings of this region, especially that of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The gaucho diet was composed almost entirely of beef while on the range, supplemented by yerba mate (erva mate in Portuguese), a tea made from the leaves of the yerba tree, a type of holly rich in caffeine and nutrients. Argentine cooking draws influence from the simple recipes used in gaucho meals. We got to eat empanadas, salad, meat, flan. Gauchos dressed quite distinctly from North American cowboys, and used bolas or boleadoras (three leather bound rocks tied together with approximately three feet long leather straps) in addition to the familiar “North American” lariat or riata. The typical gaucho outfit would include a poncho (which doubled as a saddle blanket and as sleeping gear), a facón (large knife), a rebenque (leather whip), and loose-fitting trousers called bombachas, belted with a tirador, or a chiripá, a loincloth. In the wintertime, gauchos wore heavy wool ponchos to protect against cold. Nowadays, working gauchos are as likely to be found in overalls and wellington boots as in their traditional dress. We got the opportunity to dance and listen to folk music with the gauchos, it was fun and pretty easy. We also got the chance to ride horses, play ping pong, ride bikes, and relax. The house where the gaucho party took place was beautiful it had a beautiful view and a lot of land. Over all, this gaucho party was a great way of learning a little history about the gauchos and thier culture.
mmgarcia09 