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Traditions
There are many forms of gratitude that inhabitants of Latin America employ when they discard excess food. Some people kiss the bread while others cut it before discarding it.

Gender Roles in Latin American Culture & their Impact on Cuisine
Latin America still holds many of the traditions that date far back into history, including the gender roles within the home. Males in traditional Latin American families in rural areas such as Tetecala would take to the slaughtering and butchering of animals and the women would prepare the meal with many spices and ingredients for flavor. Women in these cultures are regarded as lazy and unfit for marriage if they are unable to be good housewives and excellent cooks. Latin American cultural traditions are seemingly more religiously based into Catholicism, and for this reason the context of their cultural traditions and common practices within the home and of the context of eating and preparing food is more sexist and old-fashioned compared to other cultures. Women grow up learning the processes and secrets to delicious foods, and have superstitions associated with their preparation. For example, some women believe when they cook while feeling angry or upset, that their food turns out spicier than they intend. Other times, they have to pour out a stock recipe and start over preparing a dish because of worries with how the water boiled. Sometimes, however, women are regarded as more responsible and for this reason they are "doomed to their role in the kitchen" Masa, or corn, is an incredibly important ingredient in many Latin American dishes, and this is due to the simple fact that it is a common resource of many Latin American land spaces and do to this it has been integrated into Latin American tradition and culture. Tortillas are a characterization of Mexican cuisine, and this is one example of the cultural use of corn and versatility of the starch in cooking.

Alternative Medicines and Home Remedies
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among hispanics is presented differently in every Latin American cultural context. The landscape in more mountainous countries denies accessibility to many medical resources. Families pass down traditional methods of medicine used by their ancestors in an effort to heal the ill and injured. The most common treatments are usually treated with zumos, or a beverage with a syrup mixture. In Puerto Rico, for example, Latinos live off their land very well, and one natural remedy they incorporate into their cuisine is yerba buena, a mix of good herbs to heal and provide nourishment to the body and spirit as well. One example of a common herb used for healing in Mexico is a plant called Estafiate. The herb is locally grown wildly and following maturation it is picked and made into tea. Estafiate is believed to have various uses as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. Another example of a similar tradition within the home to relieve an ailment is in the Dominican Republic, where onions and honey are cooked into a thick syrup and consumed to sooth a sore throat or a bad cough.

Concerning holiday traditions, Other such traditions are upheld largely by the country, Argentina and Uruguay have one such tradition known as a "es:Ñoquis del 29" or "the Gnocchi 29," where on the 29th of each month a family eats gnocchi, sometimes placing money under their plate to wish for abundance in the next month.

Concerning holiday traditions, Latin American cultures have their own way of honoring certain important occasions through the food they eat and the manner in which they do so. There is a holiday celebrated in Latin America known as Three Kings Day (otherwise known as Epiphany) which is celebrated on January 6 of each year where families feast in honor of God's manifestation in human form in Jesus. The baked bread round they eat is a symbol of a king's crown, which is where the name "Rosca de Reyes" or "King's Bread" comes from. There is traditionally a small figurine of baby Jesus found within the round and the one who finds the small token within their portion of the bread has to make tamales for the family on February 2nd, another holiday called the "Day of the Candles."

In many countries of Latin America families consume lentils on the first day of the New Year because it is thought to bring prosperity, much like cultures in various parts of the world.