Picada (Rioplatense cuisine)

A picada, from the Spanish verb picar meaning to nibble at, is a shared platter of savory snacks and finger foods typical of Argentina and Uruguay. It is usually served as a starter before the meal, though some people make it the main course. A classic board holds cheeses, cured meats, fermented sausages, olives and peanuts, but the contents depend on the country and the host. The custom is linked to the Italian antipasto and the Spanish tapas that came with mass immigration to the Rio de la Plata, and its exact origin is disputed. Some see it as the successor of the copetin served in Buenos Aires restaurants in the 1940s, with olives, potato chips, peanuts and salty flour sticks. In Uruguay it appears in old Montevideo bars and at family gatherings on Christmas Eve.