Contributors

Chilean, Argentinean, Australian, French, Coloradoan CCK

ANDREA BAZOIN (pronounced “Bah-Zwah”) is a higher education professional turned entrepreneur. She is the founder of everHuman, LLC (www.everhuman.io), a company that provides tech support alongside coaching, project assistance and workshops delivered with both expertise and empathy. Her family ties span the globe and include Chile, Argentina, Australia and France. She currently lives in Fort Collins, Colo., U.S.A. with her French husband and culturally fluid son.

PAULETTE BETHEL, PHD, Career United States Air Force Officer, trauma recovery coach, global transition expert, mother to TCKS, culturally- and racially-blended, Dr. Paulette Bethel is our expert on the importance of transition and its effect on relationships. Read her CULTURS column: “Mélange: GPS Conversations for the Global Soul” and listen to her podcast, “Bella’s Front Porch” on our Culturs XOTV channel. CEO and Founder, Discoveries Coaching & Consulting International Speaker & Trauma Recovery Coach.

Adult CCK, TCA and TCK Parent

Native Argentinean

SACHA BRONSTEIN grew up in a traditional Argentine household helping his parents Lilia and Daniel with Sunday Asados that are family tradition. There he learned the secrets of this Argentinian ritual and became the official Grill Master in every school, club or family event. He then began working in Argentine steakhouses. Bronstein has a passion for sharing this cultural, social and gastronomic essence of the ritual of making an Argentinian Asado. He especially loves pairing the best meat of the world with the best Malbec wines, along with a nice group of friends around the fire.

Colombian, Spanish TCANative Argentinean

EXEQUIEL BRIEF From rural Argentina, Exequiel began his adventure with a move to the capital city. But three years ago, his adventurous spirit again took hold and he quit his job to follow his love for photography. The circumstances were not easy but he maintained perseverance and discipline. Soon his ideas became faces, landscapes captured within his camera via emotions, lights and stories. He aims to share his photography with the people who visit the city of Buenos Aires and give them a memory they can preserve. He speaks Spanish, English, Portuguese and is learning German.

Filipina-American TCK

Third Culture Kid Expert MYRA DUMAPIAS is the Chief Executive Officer of TCKidNOW, which has been featured on the BBC, ABC News, The Telegraph, the U.S. Department of Defense and Education Week and helped thousands discover their TCK identity and find a sense of belonging long before mention of the term on social media. TCKidNow provides trauma-informed educational outreach about the lifetime impact of a transnational upbringing. While acknowledging the role healing plays in helping TCKs recognize and develop their skills, TCKidNOW fosters connections that help TCKs find a sense of belonging and give back to the world they grew up in. Dumapias holds a Bachelor’s in English and World Literature and a Master’s in Social Work.

Guatemalan-American TCK

JOHN LIANG is an adult Third Culture Kid who grew up in Guatemala, Costa Rica, U.S.A., Morocco and Egypt before graduating high school. He has a bachelor’s degree in languages from Georgetown University and a master’s in International Policy Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Liang has covered the U.S. military for two decades as a writer and editor for InsideDefense.com, and is also managing editor of Culturs Magazine. He lives in Arlington, Va., U.S.A.

Venezuelan TCA

JUAN MACHUCA is a Venezuelan entrepreneur living in Buenos Aires, Argentina since 2016 who founded Experience Baires in 2019. His vision is to develop a digital platform that enables local hosts to have authentic immersion experiences. Machuca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and a Master of Science in Economics. Along with applying his technical and entrepreneurial skills, he is eager to unlock digital transformation in the accommodation industry.

Mexico native

JACKO PRADO is a Ciudad de Mexico-based Mexican artist. Her specialty in photography are portraits and capturing the essence in them. She has carried out a self-taught learning and combined with her second career, which is dance, the handling of forms and bodies have complemented her photographic pieces.

Mexican TCA

DIANA VEGA is a Third Culture Adult. Born in Mexico and passionate about design, they studied architecture and started a small business after college. Interested in entrepreneurship, Vega moved to Colorado, U.S.A. to earn an MBA at Colorado State University. Now repatriated to Mexico, they are a graphic designer and illustrator for Culturs Magazine.

Native Argentinean

GISSEL Argentine native Gissel has been a photographer and graphic designer for more than 10 years. She’s worked as a photojournalist, and in social, culinary and lifestyle. Capturing memories is her passion, as shown in her fresh and candid style of photography. “Because I believe that pictures must have soul and that’s true smiles and unique gestures,” she says. Gissel also is a creative community leader in Buenos Aires who likes to travel, sightsee, make new friends and share cultures. Consistently rediscovering Buenos Aires is one of her favorite activities. Follow her on instagram @wander.portraits

Culturally Fluid Definitions

n the 21st century, assessing someone’s background from outward appearance isn’t enough as hidden, rather than visual, diversity means people increasingly bring more to the table than meets the eye. Whether through nationality, travel, race or ethnicity, many straddle culture in myriad ways. From Cultural Fluidity, to Third Culture Kid, Expat, Third Culture Adult, Cross-Cultural Kid and more, the language to describe our in-between community is of utmost importance. Knowing the vocabulary creates understanding and deepens our sense of belonging and connections to others with similar experiences. Here’s a quick overview so you can follow along any of our articles with ease:

Cross-Cultural Kid (CCK)

A term coined by author Ruth Van Reken in 2002, is a person who is living, has lived, or meaningfully interacted with two or more cultural environments for a significant period of time during the first 18 years of life. This includes minority individuals living within majority culture.

Adult Cross-Cultural Kid (ACCK)

An adult who grew up as a Cross-Cultural Kid.

Cultural Fluidity/Cultural Mobility

A term coined by Culturs founder Donnyale Ambrosine to characterize hidden diversity created by people who don’t or didn’t grow up in a homogenous cultural environment. Culturally Fluid individuals may straddle nationalities, ethnicities, race or culture. The fluidity created allows understanding between or among their foundational areas of meaningful experience. It also may hinder sense of belonging to any one area.

Missionary Kids

Children of missionaries who travel to missions domestically or abroad.

Third Culture Kids (TCKs)

Coined by Sociologist Ruth Useem in the 1950s as a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The first culture is considered an individual’s passport culture, while the second culture consists of the culture(s) in which the individual has lived. The third culture is a result of the person’s life experience; this is the culture to which they most belong. The third culture often is where individuals feel community with others of similar experience.

Domestic TCK

Children who moved to various regions within the same country while growing up, often having to re-learn ways of being, especially as regional differences in dress, speech and action are heightened in formative years when it is important to be accepted.

Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK)

An adult who grew up as a TCK.

Third Culture Adult (TCA)

Coined in 2002 by Psychotherapist Paulette Bethel to signify individuals who travel extensively and are immersed in, or live in global locations after the age of 18 (after identity has been solidified).

Refugees

Internationally nomadic group not characterized by a parent’s occupation. Displaced from their homeland forcibly or by choice, often having fled for varied reasons — violence, politics, religion, environment, etc. Refugees typically do not return to their origin country.

Immigrants

People who, for varied reasons, immigrate to a country different than their homeland to stay permanently. Many return to their home countries to visit, though some do not.

Expatriate (Expat)

As defined by Merriam Webster — to leave one’s native country to live elsewhere; which also sometimes means to renounce allegiance to one’s native country.

Military B.R.A.T.

Children of military who move with parents to different places within or outside of their home country. They often experience other cultures within the confines of a military installation or compound that possesses traits of the home country.

Non-Military Foreign Service

Children traveling with their parents to various countries in non-military government roles, diplomatic corps, civil service, foreign service, etc.

Diplomat Kids

Children whose parents are members of the home country’s political framework while living on foreign soil.

Traveler

Those who travel expecting differences among intra-international or international culture, however, not immersed in these cultures for extended periods of time, or long enough to integrate local cultural norms as their own.

International Business Kids

Children whose parents work with multinational corporations that take them to faraway lands, often in professional fields surrounding oil, construction and pharmaceuticals.

Borderlanders

Described by author Ruth Van Reken in the book “Third Culture Kids,” a borderlander is a citizen of one country that lives close to another. Often the norms, customs and traits of each country’s culture seeps into the other, creating a cultural experience separate from either original culture, while allowing inhabitants keen knowledge and insight into their own culture as well as the other.

Multiracial

People whose family consists of two or more races to which the individual identifies. With race often come cultural norms, slang language and attitudes that can greatly differ. Many multiracial children, though not all, have the unique opportunity to learn norms of all the cultures they comprise.

Multiethnic; Multicultural

People whose family consists of two or more cultures to which the individual identifies. Even when belonging to the same race, differences in culture may exist between ethnicities, tribes and other cultural contexts.

B R I E F M A N UA L O F A N A R G E N T I N E A S A D O R ´ S S E C R E T S

By Sacha Bronstein

A

sado is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries, especially Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event.

There’s no more quintessential Argentine tradition than the asado. Combining social connections with culinary craftsmanship, the asado is far more than just a simple barbecue. It’s a custom dating back to a time when wild cattle roamed the plains of La Pampa, in central Argentina.

For those who share our weakness for the ritual ceremony of the Asado/Barbecue, in an atmosphere of friendly camaraderie, there are no secrets. Each Argentine “parrillero” (Grill Master) can have their preference, but everyone will respect the way the meat is roasted, paying special attention to the way the fire is lit and the embers spread out, the cooking time, the way the meat is placed.

One of the fundamental secrets is the slow cooking, with few and wisely placed embers to ensure obtaining the best roast, where the flavor and the essential juices of Argentine meat are maximized. Only by doing this and by repeating it again and again in your own home, with your family and friends, will you master the art of roasting meat for the pleasure of those who are gathered together with you. In an Asado, people talk about what they eat and what they drink, and to talk, you have to know.

This brief overview aims to be your guide and help you to focus on the key points of this traditional Argentine family practice: the art of roasting the best meat in the world.

Grilled Argentine beef chorizo bife.

STEP 1: KNOW LOCAL CATTLE BREEDS

Aberdeen Angus:

This breed of Scottish origin is one of the most widespread in Argentina thanks to its aptitude for fattening and easy adaptation to Argentine pampas. It has been bred in the country since 1879. These animals are excellent breeders and the young bulls fatten easily with grass. This meat has the flavor and tenderness that characterizes Argentine livestock.

Hereford:

Originally from England, it was brought to Argentina in 1861. One of its greatest virtues is that of providing baby beef, which is highly valued in international cuisine.

Shorthorn:

This was the first improved breed of Argentine cattle. The first bulls were imported in 1826 from England and the breed soon acquired international recognition and became the most exported steer. The main buyers of the meat were English, and in the search for the best qualityprice relation they preferred cuts with more meat and less bone and fat. On the other hand, the local population found the boniest and fattest part, the ribs, the most attractive.

STEP 2: LIGHTING THE FIRE AND MAKING EMBERS

The best fuels for cooking an Asado are those of vegetable origin: coal or firewood. Using one or the other will produce different results: It is generally accepted among Argentine Parrilleros (a wooden board arranged with a variety of grilled meats: sirloin steaks, chorizo, Morcilla Blood sausage, and beef short ribs.) that the tastiest Asados are made with wood.

If you use coal, which is a faster way of producing embers, distribute it on top of your traditional boy/girl scout wood/ newspaper structure before lighting the fire. Once the coals have turned whitish, they are ready to be used for roasting the meat. Distribute the coal embers evenly under the grill and now you are ready to put the meat on the grill.

If you prefer to use wood, making embers will last much longer, up to 1 and a half hours; which is a great moment to sit around and drink wine with your friends. If you use a hard wood (Quebracho, Espinillo), the resulting embers will last much longer whereas if you use soft wood the embers will die out faster.

Once you have red hot embers, this is the moment to spread them out thinly but evenly under the grill. Make sure you have a secondary side fire to continue producing embers which you will use to replace those embers that have lost their heat, because the worst thing that can happen is to run out of embers in the middle of the barbecue.

DESTINATION: ARGENTINA

Sacha Bronstein.

STEP 3: ROASTING TECHNIQUE

When you can place your open hand, palm down, above the grill for no more than 4-5 seconds, this is the moment to place the thin cuts, steaks and offal (organ meats) on it, making sure that the so called “white side” of the meat (the side where the fat or bones are) is facing down in contact with the grill. If the cuts of meat are thick, spread your embers out more, bringing the fire to a hand tolerance of 7-8 seconds and keep it at that level for the duration of the roasting process. When a few pink drops of blood appear on the upper surface of the meat, it is time to turn the cuts over and leave them for another 15-30 minutes until the side in contact with the grill turns a golden color. You are now ready to eat.

The chronological order of a typical Argentine Asado begins by eating a selection of variety meats/offal which are the first pieces to be placed on the grill and subsequently eaten while the rest of the cuts continue to slowly roast.

STEP 4: OPENING DISHES

An important part of the Argentine Asado is the roasting of variety meats, also known as offal. The most important cuts are sweetbread (Molleja), kidney (Riñón), intestine (Chinchulín), sausage (Chorizo), blood sausage (Morcilla) and normally, they are eaten at the beginning of the Asado as an opening dish. These parts are very tasty, but make sure you don´t eat too much right at the beginning, to leave some space for the meat that will follow. The preparation of these cuts is the same as for the thin cuts of meat.

We should not forget the Provoleta, which every decent Argentine Asado must include. These are round, thick slices of provolone cheese with a lot of seasoning (oregano, paprika, etc.) which can be placed directly on the grill or on small, round, stainless steel pans. After 10 to 15 minutes the Provoleta will begin to melt; how long you leave it over the fire will depend on if you prefer it more or less melted. Argentines love this stuff!

DESTINATION: ARGENTINA

Choripan: A South American meat.

STEP 5: THE SEASONING

SALT:

It is customary among Argentine Parrilleros to salt the meat on both sides using what is locally known as “sal gruesa” (coarse salt) before placing it on the grill for cooking. This brings out the flavor of the meat more intensely.

SAUCES

Argentine Criolla sauce: wonderful and simple accompaniment of incomparable freshness to balance the meats and achuras. Of Spanish origin (adobo). In a bowl, dissolve the salt with vinegar. Add the finely chopped onion and let it soak for 10 minutes. Mix all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Store in a jar with olive oil at least 2 hours before eating. • 1 tomatoes peritas. • 1 medium onion. • 1 cup olive or sunflower oil. • Salt and pepper. • 1 cup white alcohol vinegar.

Chimichurri sauce: Typical sauce, more spicy and stronger than the criolla sauce, to accompany a choripán. Firstly, chop the garlic and parsley well minced and place in a jar with lid. Add the oregano, ground chili, salt and pepper. Cover with olive oil and add the aceto or vinegar stream. • 2 tbsp of fresh chopped parsley • 1/2 tbsp of oregano • 1 clove garlic • 1/2 tbsp of paprika (if you like a little spicy, it can be ground chili) • 1/2 tsp of salt • Ground black pepper • Olive oil

Grilled Argentine beef chorizo.

STEP 6: THE WINES

Infallible, but without excess, the wine cannot be absent in a roast, in moderate dose, in order to moisten the papillae, facilitate digestion, warm the hearts and stimulate conversation. Generally they are fresh red wines, of high tannins, they have the attributes of complementing, assembling, melting, cushioning the sensations of the meat and its flavors. Consistent and textured, they are generally those of the Cabernet Sauvignon strain, without detracting from the Malbec strain that is widely grown in Argentina.

Six key points to remember: 1- The embers must be well done (live fire, red hot, no black carbon color, no flame, with white ash) before placing the meat on the grill. Avoid the contamination of grease and meat by toxic gases derived from coal that is still black. Making the embers takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the firewood. 2- Having previously available the necessary instruments (knife, board, fork, clamps). 3- The thin cuts are roasted with moderate-high heat for a short time until they are browned, while the thick cuts should be roasted with moderate heat for a longer time.