Hispanic History Month and Foodways Series: Pulperías

Argentinean empanadas, recipes below

In colonial Argentina, wine production and consumption dates back from more than 400 years ago when the Spanish conquistadors brought the first vines to the Americas in the early 16^th Century. Catholic missionaries who came to the Americas established vineyards around their monasteries so that there would be wine to celebrate mass. At the time, the structure of colonial Latin American society did not allow for the incorporation of women in matters outside of the home or cloister. Spanish ethics asserted that women were “weak in body, soul, and character.” Age-old gender roles were modified however when elite women became involved in the process of growing grapes and the production of wine; women belonging to the lower social classes were not involved in this industry. The growth of the wine industry in the Mendoza region spurred socioeconomic development in Argentina and altered the role of women in colonial society. As a transport center, Mendoza hosted a large transient population, which raised the demand for goods and services in the region. Merchants and travelers sought food and places to rest along the way, which gave rise to pulperías, or taverns that non-elite metizo women ran. Wine was primarily distributed through pulperías, which established an ever-expanding market for local products. Consumption of wine at a pulpería was estimated to be a liter and a half per person per day. The first pulpería opened in Mendoza in 1627 and was defined as a “food and beverage store.” The name was derived from the pulp of tropical fruits and the sweets that were produced from them that could traditionally be purchased at a pulpería such as empanadas. In addition one could purchase foods such as hams, dried fruits, bread, and cheese. Here are recipe for Argentinean empanadas which are still very popular today:

Mendoza style meat empanada recipe: http://fromargentinawithlove.typepad.com/from_argentina_with_love/2008/05/empanada-of-the.html

Vegan Argentinean empanada recipe: http://www.ivu.org/recipes/latinam/vegetarian.html