Martín Fierro

The unique combination of cheese (ideally, salty and firm manchego cheese) and a slice of flavorful quince paste known as dulce de membrillo makes the Uruguayan treat known as Martín Fierro. The dish got its name from a character with the same name, popularized in the stories of José Hernández, who wrote about freedom and gauchos - an equivalent to the American cowboys. Hernández always ordered a dessert based on the popular Argentinian treat known as Vigilante - a dish of cheese slices combined with a sweet potato paste. Uruguay's version of the dish replaced the sweet potato paste with quince paste, and since Hernández was a famous activist for gaucho rights and his every move was observed, the news of his preference for the Uruguayan version of the dish quickly spread across the country. Soon, the dish was named Martín Fierro in the writer's honor.