Students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires can enjoy Argentina’s monthly celebration of Gnocchi!

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Students in Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires and perhaps those new to Argentina, may ask, ‘What is Gnocchi?’ Gnocchi is potato based pasta that is originally from Italy. The word gnocco itself means “lump” and comes from the word nocchio, meaning a knot in the wood. The Italian immigrants brought many great things to Argentina but this little Italian dish has been so influential that it gained itself a national day, the 29th, of every month.



Like any other custom or tradition, the Gnocchi day in Argentina has a story behind it, in fact it has two. In the beginning of the 20th century large groups of immigrants came to Argentina, more than 50%!o(MISSING)f Italian descent, and with them they brought Italian tradition and culture. In Italian culture, the 29th was known as the day when people were the poorest as it was one day before pay-day and so people would eat Gnocchi on these days as it was very cheap pasta. Students learning Spanish in Buenos Aires can see that this pasta today is still slightly less-costly than other forms of pasta.

The other story is of one of the patron saints of Venice who was practicing healings across Northern Italy and who then was offered charity by a family living on a farm when he had no food to eat. The family shared the only thing they had, bread, and the patron saint then blessed the family. The family saw years of abundant crops and therefore today the idea of eating simple foods represents a way to honor that miracle and ask for prosperity and blessings. This is a tradition that students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires can experience in the restaurants that serve up Gnocchi on the 29th of each month.

Students in Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires can also experience the Italian belief of putting a coin or bank note under a plate of Gnocchi and therefore attracting prosperity. For these two stories and the fact that Gnocchi is a delicious and affordable form of pasta, students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires should take advantage of the 29th of every month during their stay in Argentina.

Click here for more information on Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires!

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