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FijiFlavors · Paysandú
Sponge cake tart, whipped cream, crunchy meringue and peaches in syrup, light and airy. It was created in Paysandú in 1927 and is named after a local bird.
Traditional sweet from Paysandú, Paysandú
Also known as: postre chajá, torta chajá
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Chajá — Paysandú, Uruguay
The chajá is a layered sponge cake dessert with whipped cream and broken crunchy meringue, topped with peaches in syrup or strawberries. There are versions with dulce de leche and with chocolate. It is served cold. The texture is light: the meringue cracks and the cream and fruit keep the whole moist.
The dessert was created on April 27, 1927, by Orlando Castellano, owner of Confitería Las Familias in Paysandú. The name comes from the chajá, a South American bird with a light body and abundant plumage, common in the Paysandú department. The most repeated explanation for the name is the comparison between the bird’s airy appearance and the cake’s texture.
The chajá spread throughout Uruguay and to both banks of the Río Uruguay, appearing in pastry shops and home recipes. In October 2017 it was declared an item of heritage interest by the Paysandú Departmental Heritage Commission, and in 2018 the Ministry of Tourism granted it the right to use the country brand "Uruguay Natural."
Paysandú , Paysandú
The chajá was created in Paysandú in 1927 and is considered an item of heritage interest by the department.
Sponge cake, whipped cream, crunchy meringue, peaches in syrup or strawberries; versions with dulce de leche or chocolate.
Cold, in slices, as a dessert or with coffee.
All year round.
Your questions
A Uruguayan cake of sponge, whipped cream, crunchy meringue and peaches in syrup or strawberries, served cold.
In Paysandú, in 1927, created by Orlando Castellano of Confitería Las Familias.
The name comes from the chajá, a regional bird with a light body and abundant plumage. The most repeated explanation is that the dessert, being light and airy, resembled the bird.
Flavors of Uruguay
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Hot sandwich of thin beef steak, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, egg and mayonnaise, also served on a plate with French fries. It was born in a bar in Punta del Este in the 1940s and, despite the name, does not contain goat.
Fried patties of a light batter with chopped fresh green seaweed, typical of the resort towns along Rocha’s coast, such as Cabo Polonio, Valizas and La Pedrera. Served hot, as a starter or snack.
Liqueur made from the orange, sweet-and-sour fruit of the butiá palm, which forms large palm groves in the department of Rocha. The town of Castillos, amid the groves, is known as the “butiá city.”
Red wine from the Tannat grape, with intense color and pronounced tannins, the signature grape of Uruguay. The grape arrived in the country with Pascual Harriague, who adapted it in Salto in the 19th century.
