Every 29th of the month, households remember their ancestors by eating ñoquis. These small potato dumplings you generally eat with tomato sauce or pesto followed the Italian immigration, and have now become part of the culinary offer in the country.
“When the Italians arrived in great quantity at the beginning of the 20th century, they brought with them many of their cultural traditions,” says sociologist Jésica Azar from the University of Buenos Aires. “Eating ñoquis on 29th was one of them.”
According to the researcher, the tradition was initiated by workers with low incomes who formed the majority of the immigrants. However, the rest of the population and people from all backgrounds, were soon seduced by the idea and began to eat ñoquis on 29th, initiating what is now called ñoquis del 29.
Empty Pockets
Some people have suggested a simple reason for why this ritual takes place on 29th: being a day before payday, it was often a difficult time as wages would be drying up. Eating ñoquis was a good option as they are extremely cheap to make. Potatoes, flower and a pinch of salt is all you need.
However, the most common explanation finds its roots in 8th century legend of San Pantaleón, one of the saint patrons of Venice. When he was a young doctor, he left his home in Asia to go to the north of Italy, where he performed miracles. He once told a poor farmer he was sharing a piece of bread with that he was going to have a very good year. His prophecy, which he pronounced on 29th, happened to be true as the harvest was very rich. People then started celebrating that day by eating ñoquis, which represent the dish of the poor.
As part of the tradition, people put a coin or a banknote under their plate, a superstitious gesture meant to attract wealth for the future, according to Azar. Back then, after the meal, it could happen that the coins were all given to the person who most needed them round the table, or were saved for the following ñoquis.
What day is it again?
Today, it’s still an important tradition some Argentines like to respect. But many will tell you they only occasionally think of it. “I don’t really know where it all comes from, but I’ll sometimes meet up with friends on a 29th and have ñoquis”, says Soledad, a Spanish teacher in Buenos Aires.
Emelina, a 27-year-old lawyer ‘addicted’ to any type of pasta, remembers: “When I was a child, my Gran used to cook ñoquis on 29th of every month and we always used to put a coin under our plate. Today, I rarely play the game, because I often can’t remember what day it is. But when I do remember, I’ll have a bowl, because I really like the tradition.”
Interestingly, the word ñoqui has been twisted by Argentine slang and is now also used for a government employee who doesn’t do any work but turns up at the end of the month, around the 29th actually, to pick up his pay check.
If you don’t feel like cooking…
If you can’t be bothered fiddling in your kitchen, you can always go out to eat ñoquis of course. Many restaurants have them on their menu, but The Argentina Independent’ team has selected for you some of its favourite Italian places in Buenos Aires:
La Parolaccia: Alicia Moreau de Justo 1052, tel: 4343-1679
El Prosciutto: Venezuela 1212 , tel: 4383-8058
Filo: San Martín 975, tel: 4311-0312
Amici Miei: Defensa 1072, tel: 4362-5562
