Uruguay - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Uruguay

Sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay is stuck in between two dominant cultures and soccer teams. However, they are able to make a name for themselves with bites and boozes that are 100% Uruguayan. While they square off in the World Cup today against the host nation, South Africa, on the soccer pitch, we'll begin our culinary and indulgent tour with the Uruguayan version of barbeque known as asado. Much like in United States barbeque, asado can be used to mean both the method of cooking and a gathering of people to enjoy the food together. I'm not sure if it can be used as verb as well. Maybe I'll find that out one day when I visit the South American country. After the asado, we'll take a look at a traditional beverage, grappamiel!

Asado, a Uruguayan version of barbeque, is as close as gets to the national dish. Uruguay's meat is rather famous, and for good reason. The conditions for raising cattle are ideal in their part of the world. History says that a Spanish explorer named Hernandarias brought around 100 head of cattle to the land that would later become Uruguay. In a matter of years they had reproduced and become a sustainable source of food for the small population. Natural land and weather conditions turned out to be ideal, as well as the lack of any kind of predators, including human populations. It is said that Uruguay's territory was populated extensively first by cattle, then by humans. Even today the country boasts that their population of cattle is greater than that of their people.

Asados are social activities. Instead of charcoal, the meat is roasted by making a fire from wood, and using the red-hot embers to cook the meat. It's a time consuming process that leaves the meat with a unique flavor and amazing tenderness. While someone is preparing the fire, everyone else gets to eat snacks, and play cards ("truco" typically). It is normal to put some parmesan and provolone cheese on the grill, and to serve hot cheese as an appetizer, along with other snacks. The meat (not limited to beef, just as in barbeque) is placed on a very large grill called a "parrilla,” which is designed to support considerable amount of beef, sausages ("chorizos"), and more. Typically, if the asado turns out to be good, the pit master (el asador), get's an applause from the feasters. Man, I need to cook and eat some of that!

But, what about a tasty beverage to wash all that asado down? In the rural parts of Uruguay a beverage known as grappamiel is consumed often on cold autumn days or during the winter to warm the body. Similar to mead, grappamiel is made from fermented fruit (usually wine leftovers) and honey. It is based on the Italian drink known as a grappa, which is not surprising given the Italian influences in Uruguay and the grapes that are grown for wine in the region. Though the honey makes the alcohol stronger than most wines, grappamiel is still smooth and easy to sip on its own.

 Make sure to check out the BR Beer Scene for his thoughts on Uruguayan Beer!

Thanks and Credits:
http://sienzuf.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/sushi-1-3-asado/
http://thingsthatfizz.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
http://www.from-uruguay.com/2005/10/food-asado.html
http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-14184212-grappa-miel-_JM
http://www.elpais.com.uy/Suple/Empresario/09/07/31/

South Africa - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

South Africa


As the host country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it only made sense that I start the series of 32 consecutive blog posts with some of the traditional bites and boozes of South Africa.  I've found one local food item and one customary drink to highlight as Bite and Booze scans the globe for educational, cultural, entertainment, and indulgent purposes.  Today, our menu consists of Bokkems and Pinotage!

Bokkems are fish that have been salted and wind-dried by the crisp South African air.  Typically the fish are either mullet or horse mackerel.  These fish, and bokkems in general, form an important part of the traditional cuisine in the cape, particularly along the west coast.  The freshly caught fish are liberally salted with sea salt and left overnight in a cool spot to cure them.  The next day the fish are taken from the salt, lightly rinsed, tied in bunches with twine threaded through the heads, and hung outside to dry in a cool spot with adequate air circulation. When dried and crisp enough for your liking they can be eaten as a snack food just as they are. 

The Pinotage grape varietal is a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault Grapes and is one of the classic grapes South African Wine.  Pinotage is a versatile red grape variety which can produce an absolute top quality full-bodied food wine, or medium-bodied wine to be enjoyed on its own, or rosé wine or sparkling wine.  The grape produces very enjoyable red wine that I've been fortunate enough to try and would love to drink a whole lot more of!   

Make sure to check out the BR Beer Scene for a little info on South African beer!

Sources and Thanks:
http://www.weg.co.za/index.php?url=fotografie/galery/526/photogallery_page:3/category:179
http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/south-african-food.html#BOKKEMS
http://www.musingsofahousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mhudi_pinotage.jpg
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/pendock/2010/01/10/the-peoples-pinotage/
http://www.pinotage.co.za/

The 2010 FIFA World Cup - Bites and Boozes of the World Cup Countries

The 2010 FIFA World Cup 
on Bite and Booze

That's right friends and devoted Bite and Booze followers, the time is here for the 2010 FIFA World Cup from South Africa!  For the next 32 days (June 10-July 11, 2010) Bite and Booze will highlight regional dishes and adult beverages from all 32 countries that are participating in the World Cup, the largest sporting event on the planet.  Each entry will feature cultural cuisine and cocktails from a different country in an effort to both bring awareness to food and drinks around the world as well as get my mouth watering for more world travel.  I've been lucky enough to try a handful of the treats that I will highlight, but for the most part everything is something that I'll love a chance to taste at some point in my life.  So raise a glass, grab a fork, and let's begin our tour of the World Cup through Bite and Booze!

In addition, I've teamed up with Eric from the BR Beer Scene to do posts from all 32 countries specifically about beer.  You'll want to make sure to check it out for a review of the world's beers as the soccer tournament rolls along!

Here is the schedule for my World Cup blog posts.  You can always use this index page to see anything you may have missed.  You could also check out the Bite and Booze Map to see a more geographical representation of the World Cup posts. 

June 10 - South Africa

June 11 - Mexico

June 12 - England

June 13 - Serbia
June 14 - Paraguay
June 15 - North Korea
June 16 - Uruguay
June 17 - Greece
June 18 - Slovenia
June 19 - Cameroon
June 20 - Slovakia
June 21 - Honduras
June 22 - Nigeria
June 23 - Algeria
June 24 - New Zealand
June 25 - Switzerland
June 26 - Ghana
June 27 - Germany
June 28 - Chile
June 29 - Japan
June 30 - Australia
July 1 - Denmark
July 2 - Netherlands
July 3 - Brazil
July 4 - USA
July 5 - Ivory Coast
July 6 - South Korea
July 7 - Portugal
July 8 - France
July 9 - Italy
July 10 - Argentina
July 11 - Spain

Please share this post with all your Soccer/Futbol loving friends!  I'll make sure to continue to update hyper-links to each country as we go!

"Drink Well. Do Good." Tour Coming to New Orleans

Last night I was invited to a wine tasting at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans that the International Society of Africans in Wine (ISAW) graciously hosted. ISAW is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization with the mission of building sustainable communities through wine (best idea ever!).  They seek to reduce poverty in Africa through viticulture-based training. The South African wine industry is over 350 years old and helped put Cape Town on the map as a trading hub. The industry grew much like the cotton industry did in the United States: on the working backs of slave labor. Today, there are over 3,000 South African wineries in what amounts to a $3.5 billion industry.  However, only two South African wineries are black owned.  ISAW has been able to partner with the black owned wineries, as well as some white owned wineries that support their cause, to develop a Viticultural Training Center.  The center will function as a winery the enables workers to learn and participate in the entire process of managing and operating a winery, from farming to global export.  Workers will experience a vertically integrated education that will provide them with specialized skills to increase their earning potential and add value to prospective employers.  For some, it may even be a stimulus for entrepreneurship or cooperative ventures.

"Dawn," a 2008 Seven Sisters Pinotage/Shiraz

So what does this have to do with my blog?  Well, as I said, last night I got to taste wines from the Western Cape of South Africa.  The tasting was set up by invitation-only for media and press to taste wines and get the word out about the upcoming ISAW 2010 Drink Well Do Good Tour.  The tour is a 14-city, month-and-a-half trek that starts in New Orleans on April 3rd and 4th.  It circles around the United States and into Canada before heading to South Africa right before the World Cup (I know, that must be rough!).  The festive tour will include African wines, cuisine, music, and art at each of their stops along the way.  So while "drinking well" and enjoying the food and culture, you'll also be "doing good" by supporting the ISAW Foundation and contributing to the vision of the Viticultural Training Center.  It is a win/win situation for sure!

Stephen Satterfield and Jay Ducote Discuss the Wines While They Taste

At the tasting, Stephen Satterfield, founder of ISAW, poured my guests and I wine from both of the black owned South African wineries.  I brought along Eric, Brandon, and Katie to experience the event, taste the wines, and help get the word out around Baton Rouge and New Orleans.  We tried four wines from the Seven Sisters and M'hudi vineyards. 

The Four South African Wines from M'hudi and Seven Sisters

The first wine that we sampled was the M'hudi Sauvignon Blanc from 2008.  The wine tasted light and slightly acidic with hints of summertime fruits like honeydew and possibly pineapple.  The wine refreshed the palate but also left a little herbaceous tingle on the back of the tongue.

Next came the 2007 Seven Sisters Sauvignon Blanc, also named "Vivian".  The winery's origins come from a family that actually has seven biological sisters, and each of them has a different varietal named after them.  This wine had many of the same characteristics of the M'hudi Sauvignon Blanc but without quite as bold of flavors or the bite on the finish, in my opinion.

The third wine came from the Bukettraube grape.  The 2009 Seven Sisters "Odelia" is a sweet wine that tastes off-dry and fruity.  Canteloupe came to my mind, though it certainly wasn't the only flavor as I heard other people say things like peach or pear.  The Bukettraube is a grape that originally came from Germany but is now grown almost exclusively in South Africa.  From what I hear, they have a relatively short shelf life and are best consumed quickly, rather than aging them in the bottle.  So I guess drinking the 2009 is a good thing!

Finally, we finished the evening with the only red wine.  I'm a huge fan of red wines, so this is the varietal that really had me excited.  "Dawn," a 2008 Seven Sisters Pinotage/Shiraz, packed a medium-bodied but delicious punch.  Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes, and is one of the classic grapes in South Africa.  "Dawn" presented a fragrant nose and a easy, yet complex taste that began with fruity flavors like plum or dark cherry and then finished with a smoky bite.  Stephen, the ISAW founder, swore he could taste bacon on the finish.  I caught it more with my nose than my tongue, but everyone's tastes are different.

Jay Ducote and Brandon Brown Enjoy the ISAW Wine Tasting

We all thought every wine tasted great, so consumption continued until Liz Williams, the President of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, offered us to-go cups and politely suggested that the time had come to leave.  Only in New Orleans will a museum president give you a to-go cup for your unfinished wine at closing time!

I'd like to give a special thank you to ISAW, Stephen, Liz, and everyone else that helped put the wine tasting together.  I thoroughly enjoyed each wine, and especially love trying two previously never-before-tasted varietals.  If you are in New Orleans or anywhere in the vicinity, make sure to check out the ISAW 2010 Drink Well Do Good Tour.  The whole event kicks off in Nola on Easter weekend, and you should most certainly not miss it!

Things To Do
New Orleans

Thanks to Eric Ducote of the BR Beer Scene for the pictures!