Carmen Ercegovich
08/01/2020 - 7:00
- Clarín.com
- Gourmet
According to tradition, only three drinks on an empty stomach are enough to chase away the ills of winter. And in this winter of pandemic and quarantine, who does not need to scare away evils? That is why the ritual of taking cane with rue on August 1 is more in force than ever after more than two centuries and extends throughout the country, even though it comes from the Argentine northeast.
"It is done to tackle evil, disease and misery," explains Corrientes anthropologist José Humberto Miceli, who locates the origin of the custom at the end of the 17th century, the result of the encounter between the Guaraní indigenous people and the Spanish colonizers.
Caña 1 ° de Agosto, one of the brands of distillate that is prepared with rue (Photo: Instagram @swizzologist)
Both the cane - a distillate of sugar cane honeys - and the rue plant are native to Europe and came to America with the conquest. But it was the Guaraní people -original from NEA, Paraguay and southern Brazil- who made the mixture of the ingredients and gave it the meaning that transcended through hundreds of years.
Why you drink cane with rue on August 1
For Miceli, the chosen date is related to "seasonal times and mythical times". On the one hand, in the southern hemisphere the beginning of August coincides with the harshest days of winter. But for the Guarani, this seasonal time coincides with the Karaí Agosto . The anthropologist explains that, among the many connotations of the term Karaí, there is one that alludes to a transition stage in which "historically there were great rains, severe cold, causing diseases and epidemics that caused deaths in the population ."
Rue plant.
Rue is a herb that has historically been attributed healing but also magical properties. Both aspects are combined in the belief that this concoction protects the body and the spirit.
How the cane is prepared and how it is taken with rue
The recipe is simple: it consists of introducing a sprig of male rue - it is recognized by its larger leaves and its stronger smell - in a small bottle with cane liquor . But it is not done at the time it is to be consumed but in advance, so that the herb gives its flavor to the liquid.
How long before you have to prepare it? Here are different versions: some say a month, others 15 days and others, that 3 is enough.
It is taken on August 1 when you get up, fasting, with three sips in a row. There may also be variations here: there are those who drink seven sips, or those who drink it for 15 days in a row.
August 1 is also Pachamama Day , a celebration of Quechua origin more typical of the northwest of the country that has its own rituals, such as burying a pot with food and other offerings to "Mother Earth ". Despite their different roots, in many parts of the country both traditions continue.
The rise of ritual in Buenos Aires and Rosario
According to historians, the migration of the Guaraní people from the 19th century to different parts of the country spread the tradition in the provinces . And today, in the 21st century, it is taking on an unsuspected boom even in large urban centers.
For ten years, the bartender Matías Jurisich , who lives in Rosario, Santa Fe, has prepared cane with rue that he distributes free of charge in the city's pedestrian area every August 1st. "At first, people looked at us with mistrust. But the last year was incredible, we delivered 3,300 glasses in two and a half hours , between 7 and 9.30 in the morning," he says.
Bartender Matías Jurisich has given cane with rue every August 1 for 10 years.
Jurisich was born in the province of Buenos Aires. It has no Guarani ancestors or relatives, but it promotes the ritual as a way of keeping the indigenous culture alive and generating "good energy" . This year is the first year in which he cannot repeat the event due to the quarantine restrictions, but, anyway, he distributed 60 cane sachets with rue in cafes for those who wanted to take them.
At CABA, the fervor spreads through social media. In the last week of July, chef Danny Bramson decided to prepare his own version of cane with rue in 200 cc flasks , with a touch of lemon syrup. He announced it on Instagram and had over a hundred orders in just three days.
Cane flasks with rue (Photo: courtesy Danny Bramson).
" People cling to what gives them hope , this is something traditional that gives joy," he says. And he considers that, due to the diversity of the clients who contacted him, this popular custom crosses all socioeconomic strata.
In Argentina, cane liquor, which has a 34% graduation, is not among the most consumed alcoholic beverages , although there are several brands on the market, such as Ombú Padilla, 1 ° de Agosto and Piragua, in addition to other regional . Prices range between 160 and 250 pesos for 750 and 950 ml bottles.
In recent years, every time August approaches, sales go up. Both on e-commerce platforms such as Mercado Libre and on Instagram -under the hashtag # canaconruda- large bottles of cane are offered on sale or the flasks with the mix ready for the ritual.
On Facebook and Twitter, the posts with the preparations and the hopeful phrases multiply, wishing that the potion acts as an antidote to the coronavirus or the economic crisis. Perhaps - they say - just three sips are enough to change everything for the better.