August Ritual · Rue-Infused Cane Liquor
Caña con Ruda
🌿
Photo coming soon
It's drunk as a one-shot ritual at dawn on one specific date, August 1st, taken on an empty stomach to ward off bad luck for the coming year.
Caña con ruda is Paraguay's cane liquor (caña) infused for weeks with sprigs of ruda (rue), a bitter herb long used medicinally by the Guaraní. Each August 1st — observed across Paraguay and neighboring parts of Argentina as a day honoring the earth — people take a small shot of it before breakfast, sold and poured at kiosks and homes alike.
Why it's made this way: The custom traces back to Guaraní plant medicine and earth-honoring observances, making it one of the few Paraguayan drinking traditions tied to a fixed calendar date rather than daily habit.
More from Paraguay
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below.
Photo credits.