Merienda facts for kids
Merienda is a light meal or snack that people enjoy in many parts of the world. It's popular in countries like Spain, Portugal, and Italy in southern Europe. You'll also find it in Hispanic America, the Philippines, North Africa (like Morocco), and Brazil.
This meal helps fill the gap between lunch and dinner. It's a bit like "afternoon tea" in English-speaking countries. Merienda is usually simple. It often includes things like fruit, bread, cookies, or yogurt. People usually pair it with a drink, such as juice, milk, hot chocolate, or coffee.
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Merienda in South America
In countries like Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, people often have their merienda around 5 PM. This is after their midday meal but before their evening meal.
A typical merienda there includes a warm drink. This could be tea, mate (a special South American drink), or coffee. Along with the drink, they enjoy a baked snack. This might be scones, bread, toast, or cake. Sometimes, they add sweet spreads like dulce de leche, honey, or jam.
Merienda in the Philippines
In the Philippines, merienda (also called meryenda) is a general word for a light meal. It can be a morning snack, like a "second breakfast." Or it can be an afternoon snack, similar to afternoon tea.
Sometimes, people have merienda in the early evening. If it's right before or instead of dinner, it's called merienda cena. Generally, merienda is any dish or snack that's smaller than a full meal. A full meal usually has rice and a main dish. Merienda is often served with a cool or hot drink, like coffee.
Common merienda foods can be sweet or savory. They include breads like pandesal, desserts, street food, and even noodle dishes.
Merienda in Other Places
In some coastal parts of Croatia and Slovenia, and on the Greek island of Corfu, this meal is called marenda. It's usually eaten between breakfast and lunch. It's often a light snack, like a sandwich, that people have during a work break.
Goûter in France
In France, the merienda is known as goûter or quatre-heures. The name quatre-heures means "four o'clock." This is because it's usually eaten around 4 PM.
Today, goûter is a light snack. Children enjoy it more often than adults. A long time ago, before the 18th century, goûter used to be a full cold meal. It was eaten around 5 PM back then. But over time, dinner started to be eaten earlier, around 6 PM, and goûter became a lighter snack.
See also
In Spanish: Merienda para niños
