Uruguay has more cattle than people, and grass-fed beef is at the centre of its food and social life. Its cooking also reflects waves of Spanish and Italian immigration, so pasta, pizza and pastries are everywhere.

Asado

The asado is a weekend ritual: beef, sausages and offal cooked slowly over wood embers on a parrilla (grill). The asador takes charge of the fire, and friends and family gather for hours. Montevideo's Mercado del Puerto, a 19th-century iron market hall near the port, is packed with parrillas. Popular cuts include asado de tira (short ribs), vacío (flank) and entraña (skirt steak), with chorizo and morcilla (blood sausage) served first.

Chivito

The chivito is Uruguay's national sandwich: thin steak topped with ham, mozzarella, bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, often served with chips. A "chivito al plato" comes without the bread.

Other favourites

  • Milanesa: breaded beef or chicken escalope, often served "a la napolitana" with ham, cheese and tomato.
  • Pizza and fainá: Uruguayan pizza is often eaten with fainá, a chickpea flatbread from Genoa, on top.
  • Empanadas: baked or fried pastries with meat, cheese or corn.
  • Ñoquis: gnocchi, traditionally eaten on the 29th of each month, with money under the plate for luck.

Sweets

Dulce de leche, caramelised milk, fills alfajores (sandwich biscuits) and many desserts. Chajá, a cake of sponge, meringue, cream and peaches from the city of Paysandú, is a national favourite.

Mate

Mate is a bitter tea made from yerba mate leaves, sipped through a metal straw (bombilla) from a gourd. Uruguayans drink more mate per person than anyone, carrying a thermos of hot water under their arm all day. Sharing mate is a sign of friendship; the person preparing it refills and passes it around the group.

Wine

Uruguay's signature grape is Tannat, a deep red wine that pairs perfectly with grilled beef. Wineries around Canelones, near Montevideo, are easy to visit.

Culture and festivals

  • Carnival: Uruguay's carnival lasts around 40 days, often called the world's longest, with murga theatre troupes and parades.
  • Candombe: Afro-Uruguayan drumming, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, fills Montevideo's Barrio Sur and Palermo streets on weekends.
  • Semana de Turismo: Easter week, when the country takes holidays and the gaucho festival Semana Criolla takes place.
  • Football: Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930 and is passionate about the sport.

Etiquette

  • Greet with one kiss on the cheek, including between men who are friends.
  • Dinner is late, often after 9pm.
  • If offered mate, say "gracias" only when you have had enough, since it means you don't want more.
  • Tipping around 10% is customary.

See our Uruguay country guide for costs and data.