Cattle being the mainstay of Uruguay’s economy, beef forms an important part of Uruguayan cuisine. Churrasco—grilled steak—is the national dish. Parallida—beef platter—is considered to be equally important.

Mate tea is an herbal concoction, which is the traditional drink of Uruguay. Sharing mate is considered to be an act of friendship and acceptance. Uruguayans also have a sweet tooth and are often found gorging on chaja, i.e., sponge cake filled with jam and cream.