In 2020, the 19th edition was held, where Paraguayans (and foreigners) gathered in the capital of Misiones, San Juan Bautista, to enjoy one of Paraguay's most emblematic celebrations. As you can imagine, this 2021 edition could not take place, number 20, due to the COVID-19 confinement. Still, this festival honors one of the most consumed beverages in the region.
The alcoholic beverage was a legacy left by the many Spanish emigrants who, at the beginning of the 20th century and as a result of the Civil War, saw Paraguay and many South American countries as a second home. By the end of 1929, it is believed that this drink crossed the ocean from the Basque Country. Those who promote the history of this beverage state that it was brought, as guardians of global culture, by the Basques Sebastián and Ruperto Sasiaín Zubillaga, who found a second home in the San Juan Bautista area. They say these Basques drank their Siriki after Batiburrillo.
Since 2002, the bodies responsible for Paraguayan cultural matters, along with local agents from San Juan Bautista, decided to inaugurate the national festival as a gathering point where the traditions of that region would provide spaces with participation in artistic, gastronomic, and historical varieties.
You know, if you want to taste and learn about part of Paraguay's history, visit San Juan Bautista and enjoy the National Festival of Siriki… …and bon appétit!
