Paraguay
Atardecer, Paraguay. Photo: Luis Oscar Boettner
Paraguay is a landlocked country located in the Heart of South America, surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil.
Although official relations between Paraguay and Australia were first established in 1974, the history that unites both Countries goes as back as 1893 when utopian, William Lane (not related to the author), travelled with a group of Australians, to Paraguay, and eventually established the town called “Nueva Australia”. Paraguay currently exports soybean to Australia and imports machinery for paper and metal industries. There exists a growing interest in bilateral commercial agreements, especially in mining, maritime and beef industries. There is one important thing to say about both countries, and that is their worldwide reputation of excellent cattle and beef sectors. Speaking of another important sector, something else in which Paraguay and Australia are closely tied is Education, since many Paraguayans have been very lucky to study and acquire knowledge in many Australian educational institutions.
Asunción, Paraguay. Photo: Luis Oscar Boettner
Did You Know?
The name, Paraguay, that derives from the expression in Guarani (the indigenous language, spoken by almost 85% of the population) means “river that gives birth to the sea”.
Asuncion, Paraguay’s capital, is considered “La Madre de Ciudades” (Mother of Cities) since many expeditions that founded important cities like Cordoba, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Fe, Corrientes and even Buenos Aires (for its second and final foundation), were launched from there.
Paraguay is one of the only countries in the American Continent to be powered by 100% renewable energy, with 2 of the world’s biggest dams (Itaipú, built with Brazil, and Yacyretá, built with Argentina), along with smaller local ones that provide energy to the entire country.
RECIPE: SOPA PARAGUAYA (Paraguayan “Soup”)
YIELD: serves 6 | ACTIVE TIME: 20 mins | TOTAL TIME: 30 mins
A small background about the name -Paraguayan Soup- is relevant since it’s not really soup as we know it. One of the versions of the origin of this delicious food is that Carlos Antonio Lopez, Paraguay’s first Constitutional President, was offered what should’ve been a soup -normally cooked with the same ingredients as the Sopa Paraguaya- but ended getting something else. The dish he was served ended up being overcooked and the result was a solid, cornflower-based meal.
Although this is the standard way of cooking it, every house has its own “signature version” of Sopa Paraguaya -all of which are delicious- so that makes it a very exciting dish and one that can always surprise even the most culturally versed Paraguayans.
Sopa Paraguaya. Image: Luisa Lane – Tastyphoto
Ingredients
½ Kilo of cornmeal
300 grams of Queso Paraguay (any cow milk based curd cheese available works)
150 grams of butter
4 onions cut in juliennes
5 eggs
½ liter of milk
Salt to taste
20x30 cm baking dish
Directions
Peel and julienne the onions. Then heat a pan with the butter, add the onions and add a pinch of salt. Sauté until they are translucent and soft, then remove and reserve.
In a bowl, split the eggs and beat them vigorously (This step can be done by hand or using a mixer)
Add the cornmeal, milk and salt to the bowl, continue beating until the ingredients are well mixed.
Verify that the salt level is at the desired point (balanced level of salt), if everything is correct, add the onions and mix.
Cut the cheese into small cubes or crumbled, add it to the bowl and mix well.
Once all of the ingredients are mixed and integrated, it’s time to grease the baking dish, preheat the oven to 180-200 C and pour the preparation. Cook for 30 minutes or until the mix is solid and golden.