Argentina+-+FCP+-+PD3+-+SP11

= = = 1. How is that society's food a reflection of the culture's beliefs and behaviors? = Argentina's food is a reflection of that culture's belief and behaviors. Their beliefs are influenced from settlers of Italy and Spain. An "asado" also known as a barbecue, is seen very "manliness." An example of the "manliness" would be football in the U.S. Looking for certain parts of beef, other animal body parts, sausages, etc is also seen as a male activity, as well as preparing to cook for the asado. It is a must when you gather with family and friends on weekends. It is common for Argentineans to socialize over an asado, beef roast barbecued over an open fire. Argentina's food also represents their beliefs, such as the mate a traditional and popular drink in Argentina (a version of British tea drinking) that uses a certain gourd to add yerba leaves and hot water. Being as appreciated as meat, the Italian food and its traditional pasta are also quite common, again referring to their culture behaviors influenced from Italian settlers that introduced the variety of pasta, pizza, etc.

= In what way does food represent the cultural norms of the greater region? = Those who live in Argentina generally eat four meals a day. For breakfast, they have a light meal of rolls and jam with coffee. However, breakfast isn't very important for Argentineans. For lunch, they eat meat and vegetables or salads. After work Argentineans visit cafes to drink espressos and eat picadas. Picadas is a small dish of cheese, mussels, salami, anchovies, olives, and peanuts. Dinner is the largest meal of the day and usually includes beef. Argentineans eat dinner very late at night, between the times of 8 to 10 P.M. This "eating schedule" is uniform in Argentina; this is what most Argentineans eat throughout the day and is common in other regions as well.

= List 4 cultural dishes and why the reflect that society's culture =
 * [[image:empanadas_de_viento_4.JPG width="206" height="153" align="left"]]Empanadas: ** As a stuffed pastry, empanadas are important to Argentinians. They are commonly served at festivals, or for starters at parties. Like Dulce de Leche, this important food also has a day all to itself on the Argentine peoples' calendar. These Empanadas are one of the three most important and common foods that the people in this area eat. The recipes for this pastry vary from place to place, with differences in how the dough is made, what's in it, what spices are used, and whether the person uses butter or lard. Although they are most popular around the Easter time due to Lent, most people, if not all, use them as one of their staple foods year-round.


 * Chimichurri: **Chimichurri has many different varieties in Argentinian culture and is a repetitive seasoning that appears in almost every dish. The standard chimichurri is a blend of parsley, garlic, cumin, oregano, hot paprika or ground chili, plus diced tomato, scallion, and sweet red pepper. Mostly it appears as a flavoring on the meats that the people eat everyday. This seasoning sauce is one of Argentina’s three food staples, which define it, as it appears as a topping for almost any meal, and is found on a majority of meats. This is a traditional, everyday seasoning.

**Dulce De Leche**: Dulce de Leche has its own unique importance across Argentina. This sweet spread or topper is similar to a caramel sauce, and is milk-based. “Dulce” in some parts of Latin America means jam, and “Dulce de Leche” means, “milk-jam”. The dessert spread is known for its continuous recurrence in Argentine dishes. This milk-based, thick, caramel-like substance even has a day all to itself on the Argentineans’ calendar. Although it has a different name in nearly every area in Latin America, the importance and the uniqueness of it is the same. It is found in almost every pantry in Argentina, and is something of a legend. As a tradition in the culture, Dulce de Leche is found drizzled over cakes and pastries, served with apples and croissants, filled in churros, or just eaten plain for breakfast.

**Mate**: Mate is more than just an herbal drink that people in Argentina drink 24/7, all year round. This type of tea is very popular and important to the Southern half of South America, and is drunk out of a gourd and a bombilla, which is a metal straw specially made to filter out the herbal flavoring. The simple preparation of the Mate in itself is very ritualistic, and is where it gets most of its importance. If the Mate weren’t prepared in such a way, the Argentineans would find it unacceptable because it would taste different. There is also a certain tradition that follows how this tea is supposed to be consumed, and this also holds a great importance to the people. The tradition goes like this: there is one main person known as the cebador who makes the best Mate out of the group. This person makes the Mate, then drinks it to test the flavor, then fills it back up with hot water and passes it on to the next person. Each person makes sure to drink all of the water from the gourd. The Argentineans find this as an enjoyable experience that should be shared with friends and family. Now one has to understand that Mate is not just a liquid, it is a habit that almost all of Argentineans acquire in early life. Mate, to Argentineans, is almost like coffee to Americans. If you were to take time out of your day and talk to a friend, as soon as you were done exchanging pleasantries, it would be immediately followed by “would you like to drink a few Mates?” Another point is that Mate has no money specifications, meaning that the drinking of Mate and the tradition that goes along with it does not depend on whether you’re rich or poor. This simple traditional drink makes irrelevant anger, decisions, arguments, happiness, maturity, age, money and jobs. When one’s child begins drinking Mate, their parents will get a feeling of pride, and their hearts swell with the joy. Argentineans become adults when they feel the need to drink a few Mates when they are alone to clear their minds. Here, Mate is more than just a drink or a decision; it’s a tradition that is close to the hearts of all Argentineans.

= 4. Why is food important to that culture? = Argentine cuisine embodies that of many different cultures. This includes Spanish, French, Italian, and also their own native culture. The food is important to the culture because it shapes traditions. For example, there are certain foods that may be eaten at different occasions. To elaborate, Empanadas are filled with traditional meats, such as beef. Another traditional item would be mate; a native drink in Argentina. It is consumed primarily in social or family gatherings.

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Cut vanilla bean in half and pour the seeds in the milk. Stir in the sugar and replace the pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Just as the milk mixture begins to boil, stir in the baking soda. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. When a wooden spoon drawn through the mixture leaves the bottom of the pan visible, and the mixture is light brown in color, remove the pan from the heat. =====