Usually asado is served with an ensalada (salad) of lettuce and tomato, and maybe some papas fritas (French fries).
Another food that I have tried and enjoyed here is dulce de leche. You might have heard of it before because it is common in other Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico and Chile. It is DELICIOUS! It looks like caramel, but it comes from milk products like sweetened condensed milk, and you can put it on all sorts of desserts. One of the more popular desserts here is the alfajor, a dulce de leche sandwich made of shortbread cookies and rolled in coconut.
With asado, I felt very full, that is for sure! A common refrain here is that Uruguayans eat a lot of meat, and I have found that to be true. I like meat, but sometimes the portion sizes are way too big for me, and people eat meat too often for my taste (at almost every meal).
When I tried mate, I was surprised at the amount of caffeine this drink contains. I felt very awake after drinking mate, and the students told me they drink it throughout the day instead of coffee to stay alert while they are in class or studying. The flavor of this tea is quite bitter, but you can buy different types of yerba (the mate leaves) that have a milder taste.
