Dish of the day

It was raining heavily in Humahuaca and this does not happen quite often. Summer is the rainy season in almost all the Northern region of Argentina. Needless to say, one of the things the inhabitants of this area ask from the blessed Carnival is precisely that it may bring torrential rain. Water above anything else.

And the pray was clearly being heard. Under umbrellas, which I wrongly thought did not exist in this region, its inhabitants proceeded with their daily routines while we, a group of journalists and photographers, walked around the narrow city streets trying not to get wet and waiting till midday to watch Saint going out of the Square Church.

the Saint came out as quickly as the famous Cuckoo of Villa Carlos Paz, in Córdoba. That must have meant a greeting for everyone present. Curiosity was greater than what we could actually see, but it was worth the wait. It kept on raining anyway.

So, trying not to get wet and jumping over the little pools formed here and there on the cobbles, we reached a small monolith of a mother with her little son. The monument is named “Monumento a la Madre” (monument to the mother), something characteristic in the entire region. Just facing it, there is one of the most picturesque craft works fair in la Humahuaca Ravine.

Peppers, coca leaves, spices, woven fabrics, wool, tapestries, murals, drawings, paintings, nativity scene, local dishes, empanadas (pies), tamales and thousands of other objects and colors are part of the products presented in the fair.

But we cannot help setting our eyes on the wide range of pottery dishes and plates typical of the Northern Argentinian region, which stand out from the rest.

There are so many and they are so varied in shape, colour and size that to watch them is to get inside an incredible world. While we were taking a look here and there, a beautiful, sweet voice said: "Would you like to come and see the studio?"

The answer was immediate: “Yes”. In a few minutes we were watching the whole production process of the classic dishes from the Northern Argentinian region.

Pots, utensils, vases, casseroles, saucepans, pots, plates and dishes. Everything is made out of “mud" and clay. And what is most surprising is that, besides watching the whole production process (mixing of raw material, modelling, drying in open air and painting), visitors can also buy the dish whose creation they witnessed some minutes before.

Its creators call it the “Dish of the day” and it can be taken home after having understood and seen how the reddish or greyish “mud” of the area is mixed in equal proportions with clay that is obtained from river beds. Afterwards, the creative moment arrives: the modelling and designing, till the pieces, once dried, go onto female hands to go through the subtle and detailed process of being painted and becoming alive.

Almost two hours passed. It had stopped raining outside, but no one wanted to miss the show taking place indoors.

The studios at Humahuaca provide the possibility of being part of the creative production process, by means of which tourists can not only acquire a souvenir but also take home a priceless experience.

Nothing less than having learnt about those who, with their sacred and very old hands, wisely give shape to the dish many of us use to eat or show proudly every day.