Cuisine of Argentina
Encyclopedia
Argentine cuisine may be described as a cultural blending of indigenous Mediterranean influences (such as those exerted by Italian
-Spanish
and Arabic populations
) with the wide scope of livestock and agricultural products that are abundant in the country. Argentine annual consumption of beef has averaged 100 kg (220 lbs) per capita, approaching 180 kg (396 lbs) per capita during the 19th century; consumption averaged 67.7 kg (149 lbs) in 2007. Beyond asado
(the Argentine barbecue
), no other dish more genuinely matches the national identity. Nevertheless, the country´s vast area and its cultural richness have led to a local cuisine of many more dishes.
Argentinian people are known for their love of eating. Social gatherings are commonly centered on sharing a meal. In fact, inviting people to have dinner at home is usually viewed as a symbol of friendship, warmth, and integration. Furthermore, Sunday family reunions are generally an occasion to eat asado or pasta.
Another feature of Argentine cuisine is the preparation of homemade food -- to celebrate an occasion, to meet friends, or, especially, to honor someone. The tradition of locally preparing food is passed down from generation to generation, and homemade food is also seen as a way to show affection.
On the other hand, the scope of restaurant meals on offer is exceptional; people can choose among a great variety of cuisines, prices, and flavours. Large cities count on unique gentrified restaurants offering international cuisine, and Argentina provides diners with other options, such as bodegones (inexpensive traditional hidden taverns), less stylish restaurants, and bars and canteens offering an enticing range of dishes at affordable prices.
Argentines are famous for their high protein
diet, particularly beef. Grilled
meat from the asado
(barbecue) is a staple, with steak
and beef rib
s especially common. Chorizo
(pork
sausage
), morcilla
(blood sausage), chinchulines
(chitterlings), mollejas
(sweetbread), and other parts of the animal are enjoyed. In Patagonia
, lamb and chivito
(goat
) are eaten more frequently than beef. Whole lambs and goats can be seen on the asado. Chimichurri
, a sauce
of herb
s, garlic and vinegar, is often used as an accompaniment. (Most Argentines have a relatively delicate palate and do not include chili in their version of chimichurri).
Breaded
and fried
meat (schnitzel)— milanesa
s — are used as snack
s, in sandwich
es, or eaten warm with mashed potato
es — purée
. Empanadas — small pastries of meat, cheese
, sweet corn and a hundred other varieties — are a common sight for parties, starters
and picnic
s across Argentina. Another variation is the "empanada gallega" (Spanish empanada, known simply as "empanada" in Spain. "Galician/gallego" is a common adjective referring to Spain.), which has a round shape and is more like a big, round meat pie mostly made with tuna
and mackerel
("caballa" in Spanish). Vegetable
s and salad
s are important too for Argentines, even beyond the fried or mashed potato. Tomato
es, onion
s, lettuce
, eggplants, squashes
and zucchini
are common side dishes.
Just as much as beef, Italian staples, such as pizza
and al dente
pasta
, are eaten. Fideos
, Tallarines, ñoquis
, ravioles
and canelones
can be bought freshly made in many establishments in the larger cities. Italian-style ice cream
is served in large parlour
s and even drive-through businesses.
In Chubut
, the Welsh community
is known for its teahouses, offering scones and Torta Galesa, which is rather like Torta negra
.
Sandwiches de miga
are delicate sandwiches made with crustless buttered white bread, very thinly sliced cured
meat and cheese and lettuce
. They are often purchased from entrepreneurial home cooks and consumed for a light evening meal.
Argentine food also reflects its European roots and sometimes varies in certain regions more than in others.
A sweet paste, dulce de leche is another national obsession, used to fill cake
s and pancake
s, spread over toast
ed bread for breakfast
or as an ice cream flavour. Alfajor
es are shortbread
cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche or a fruit
paste. The "police
man's" or "truck
driver's" sweet is cheese with quince
paste or dulce de membrillo
. Dulce de batata
is made of sweet potato
/yam
: this with cheese is the Martín Fierro
s sweet. Apple
s, pear
s, peach
es, kiwifruit
s, avocado
s and plum
s are major export
s.
A traditional drink
of Argentina is an infusion
called mate
(in Spanish, mate, with the accent on the first syllable). The dried leaves
and twig
s of the yerba mate
plant (Ilex paraguariensis) are placed in a small cup, also called mate, usually made from a gourd
, but also from bone or horn
. The drink is sipped through a metal or cane straw
called a bombilla. Mate can be sweetened with sugar
, or flavor
ed with aromatic herbs or dried orange
peel
to hide its bitter flavour. Hot water is poured into the gourd at near-boiling point
so as to not burn the herb and spoil the flavour. At family or small social gatherings, one mate may be shared by the group, with the host preparing the mate to the preference of each guest. When one guest is finished, the mate is returned to the host, who will then prepare a mate for another guest. This is considered an important social ritual. Mate cocido
is the same leaf, which rather than brewed
is boiled
and served, as coffee
or tea
, with milk
or sugar to taste.
Other typical drinks include wine
(occasionally mixed with carbonated water
known as soda); tea and coffee are equally important. Quilmes is the national brand
of pale lager
, named after the town of Quilmes, Buenos Aires
, where it was first produced.
times, as in the Northwest.
For lengthy time spans, urban areas such as Buenos Aires
, Rosario and Córdoba
welcomed European immigrants
, including, above all, those of Italian
and Spanish
descent. Nevertheless, there was also a migratory flow of German, Swiss
and Middle-Eastern immigrants arriving in Argentina. Among the countless changes this melting pot brought about, it can be argued that it similarly led to the enrichment of the culinary art. As a result, dishes such as pasta
, pizza
, polenta
(cornmeal
), stew
s, tortilla
s, puchero
s (stew
s), croquetas (fritters), sauce
s, embutido
s (sausage
s), chicken and meat courses caused daily menus to include a wider scope of options to choose from. Furthermore, the bread-making, desserts, pastries and dairy products industries have achieved a considerable development in this region.
As a matter of fact, eating the above mentioned dishes has developed a distinctively Argentine nuance. That is why, for example, the scope of pasta options comprises a wide variety of dishes ranging from spaghetti
, fusiles (fusilli
), ñoquis (gnocchi
), ravioli
and lasagne including cintas (pasta ribbons); the Argentine made sorrentinos, agnolotis, canelones (canneloni) and fetuchines (fetuchini
).
As regards pizza
, it is worth being dealt with separately. With very thin high-rising dough
s, with or without cheese
, cooked in the oven
or a la piedra (on a stone oven), and stuffed with a countless scope of ingredients, it is one of those dishes that can almost certainly be eaten in almost every corner of this country. Buenos Aires
, Rosario
and Córdoba
also serve it with fainá
, which is a chick pea-flour dough placed over the piece of pizza. In fact, people say that what makes the Argentine pizza unique is the blending of Italian and Spanish cultures. At the turn of the 19th century, immigrants from Naples
and Genoa
opened the first pizza bars, though the Spanish subsquently took charge of the pizza business.
With respect to bread
products, their consumption is said to be widely spread all around the country. Additionally, the deeply-rooted bread, pastry and dessert-making tradition actually derives from blending the above nationalities' products. Therefore, it is not unusual to find bakeries at a countrywide level selling not only a wide scope of breads, cookies and cakes, but also pastries (the latter resembling a sort of roll pastry
) whose main dough ingredient may be either butter or fat, and which may be simple or stuffed with dulce de leche
(milk
jam), crema pastelera, quince or apple jelly, among other fillings. The most popular type of pastry is said to be that of medialunas (based upon the well-known croissants). Furthermore, another type of bread products refers to sandwiches de miga
, made only with thin layers of white bread
(generally referred to as crustless bread) and stuffed with food items ranging from ham and cheese to other more sophisticated combinations such as raw ham, tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs, tuna, lettuce, red pepper, and the like.
Desserts and sweets are usually stuffed or covered with dulce de leche
, which is made of milk
and sugar
. The latter can be usually eaten alone or on top of cakes, alfajor
es, panqueques (creppes
) and pastries, or as a topping spread over flan
. As to Chantilly cream, it is widely consumed and used in preparing sweets and desserts. Additionally, cakes, sponge cakes and puddings are very popular dishes. Italian ice-creams in this region also achieved a significant degree of development by adding local flavors that somehow preserved the local spirit involved in their preparation.
Even though the origin of asado
may be traced back to the Pampas, it goes without saying that it may be eaten all over the country. In fact, it entails manifold types of meat which are generally eaten as follows: achuras (offal
) (the cow´s inner parts) and morcilla (blood sausage) and sometimes also a provoleta
, which is a piece of provolone
cheese cooked on the grill with oregano
, are eaten first. Then comes the choripán
(a kind of spiced sausage made with pork or lamb and placed between two slices of bread), and lastly meat such as asado de tira
, vacío (hindquarter) lomo (tenderloin
), colita de cuadril (rump
), matambre (Rolled stuffed steak cut into slices and served cold, entraña (innards), and the list is certainly never-ending. It is quite common to eat and enjoy a dish known as cabrito al asador (roast kid or goat) in the province of Córdoba.
This region is regarded as perhaps the one most influenced by native Indians, and this fact is clearly evidenced in its foods, which are closely linked to the Andean-Incan tradition. When preparing regional dishes, potatoes and corn
or wheat are almost always used, including quinoa
(a cereal typically used in Incan cuisine), pepper
s, squashes and tomatoes. The most celebrated dishes by far are humita
and tamal, in which the corn husk is stuffed with the corn filling itself, seasonings or meat.
Nevertheless, this region is the most suitable scenario to taste empanada
s, above all those stuffed with meat and offering different types of tempting varieties such as the meat empanada, salteña also filled with potatoes, or the empanada tucumana, which is stuffed with matambre and cut with a knife, or empanadas made with cheese. Empanadas are individually sized and closed savoury pastries which may be fried or baked in the oven and are generally eaten with the hands.
Stews such as locro
, carbonada and cazuela
s (casseroles) are also typical dishes characterizing this region, which also include pumpkin or potato pudding stuffed with meat.
Many of the sweets produced in this region, such as quince
, sweet potato
, molasse
s and cayote jams
, have given rise to a very well-known and easily made dessert referred to as vigilante, or to so-called queso y dulce (where a piece of fresh cheese is served with one of the sweets mentioned above).
This is another area influenced by native Indians, particularly by the Guaraní tribe. Abounding in rivers and shores, it offers an irresistible diversity of fish species, such as dorado, pacú
, surubi
, boga
and silverside
.
Widely grown in this area, cassava
is typically included in the region’s dishes, as are other components of meals, such as the chipá (a cassava and cheese bread), which originally came from Paraguay
. As regards products made with sugar, the mamon fruit (mamoncillo) jam is typical of the province of Corrientes
.
The unmatched product in this region is certainly the yerba maté
. Consumed countrywide, this product features a peculiarity of its own in this area: it is not only prepared with hot water, but, driven by the region’s high temperatures, it is common to see it prepared with cold water as well, in which case the beverage is known as tereré
.
s, spider crab
s, squid
s and other shellfish
and molluscs may be fished in this region's shores. Furthermore, trout
may be found in Patagonian rivers.
The diversity of red fruits grown in the area feature cherries, billberries, strawberries, rose hip
s and elders, which are made into jams and marmalade
s.
The Northern
and Central Europe
an settlements in this region have built up a large-scale production of chocolate
and its by-products, thus rendering them quintessential products in the region. Viennese and German cuisine and pastries are also typically associated with this region.
As far as meat is concerned, mutton and lamb, together with wild boar and venison all make up highly appealing dishes. Also typical of this southern region are smoked products, including salmon, stag, wild boar, and pheasant, among others.
Patagonia has also been exposed to the profound influence of native Indian tribes, in particular, those of the Mapuche
s and the Araucanos. A typical dish prepared by the latter is the curanto
(a term meaning "hot stone"). Its preparation involves digging a hole about 150 cm deep in the ground, within which incandescent stones are placed inside a bonfire. A bed of nalca or maqui leaves is arranged on top of the stones, and the following ingredients are added, in turn, on top of this bed: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, chorizos (pork sausages), potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples and holed squashes filled with cheese, cream and peas. Subsequently, all these ingredients are covered with leaves and damp pieces of cloth so as to ensure heat preservation. Next comes a layer of plenty of soil, thus turning the whole arrangement into a genuine pressure oven. Wisps of smoke start billowing out of the ground when the cooking process has come to an end.
For example, though the importance of the production and consumption of wine
(vino) has been discussed, it is important to note that beer (cerveza; the Italian birra is frequently used) in the second half of the 20th century (at the least) and in the first five years of the 21st, competes with wine in popularity. Breweries appeared in Argentina at the end of the 1860s, started by Alsatian
colonists; the first were almost in the downtown of Buenos Aires (el égido de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), and soon Polish
brewers began industrial production of beer: San Carlos
in the province of Santa Fe, Río Segundo and Córdoba in the province of Córdoba, Quilmes (Quilmes beer
) and Lavallol on the outskirts of La Plata
(in Buenos Aires Province), San Miguel de Tucumán in the province of Tucumán and on the outskirts of the cities of Mendoza
and Salta
.
The local consumption of beer has risen dramatically in the last generation: Argentines consumed 233 million liters in 1980 and 1.57 billion in 2007 (40 liters per capita). Outpacing that of wine since 2001, the growing production and consumption of beer has supported the existence of related events, for example the so-called Oktoberfest
s (sic) or "Fiestas de la Cerveza" in locations that have a significant German
population (Villa General Belgrano
in Córdoba, San Carlos and Esperanza
in the province of Santa Fe, etc.). Such celebrations copy, in an Argentine manner, Munich
's Oktoberfest, and similarly are tourist attractions. However, the presence of a vigorous population of Celt
ic lineage, principally of Irish origin, has supported the creation of other celebrations of beer, often for marketing purposes, such as Saint Patrick's Day
(Día de San Patricio), patron of Ireland, which is celebrated with abundant libations.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Argentina is similar to that of the United States and somewhat lower than the Western Europe average. Argentines enjoy a variety of alcoholic beverages and Argentina can boast a varied array of elaboraciones, whether industrial or artisanal. Besides beer and wine, Argentines frequently drink cider
(here again, the heritage comes from Spain and Italy, more precisely from Asturias
and Campania
). Cider is the most popular beverage of the middle and lower economic classes at Christmas and New Year
(the upper classes proverbially preferring to celebrate with locally produced champagne, although real old-line "creole
" aristocrats will still drink cider, which is much more traditional).
Other widely consumed spirits are aguardiente
(firewater) made from sugar cane, known as caña quemada ("burnt cane") or, simply, caña
("cane"). (Although "caña" is really derived from "cognac
" and was traditionally used in old Argentina for any brandy
, but especially peach brandy, caña de durazno.) A folkloric note about caña quemada: until June 21 it is traditional to drink caña quemada with ruda macho (a variant of common rue
), it is supposed that this mixture prevents the flu and other illnesses. Caña competes, mainly in rural areas, with gin
("ginebra"—as in the Dutch
kind of gin.)
There are many artisanally produced liqueur
s (distilled, flavored alcohol
ic beverages) in Argentina, for example those flavored with orange
, egg
, anise
, coffee, cherry and, inevitably, dulce de leche. The Hesperidina
is a type of liqueur made from orange peels, invented in Argentina around 1890. One may also encounter chitronchelo or (in Italian) citroncello, based on lemon. This beverage arrived with immigrants from the Mezzogiorno
, and is produced both artisanally and industrially (for example, at Mar del Plata
).
Argentines enjoy a wide variety of non-alcoholic infusions (although now and then both "families" are mixed; the yerbiao for example, is mate mixed with caña or gin). Among these, mate has long been the most widely enjoyed; in 2006, over 700,000 metric tons were harvested in Argentina, mostly for domestic consumption.
The fact that mate is so prevalent in the Southern Cone
, however, must not lure visitors into thinking that other infusions are rare in the region; in Argentina especially, given that there is a strong European cultural imprint, the consumption of coffee is very common (141 cups per capita, annually). Chocolate infusions are also popular (the eating of chocolate is a Spanish influence—although the plant originated in Mesoamerica
), this consumption grows during autumn and winter, or in the cold regions of the country; there are two dates where consumption of chocolate infusions is traditional in the primary educational centres: 25 May and 9 July, that is, the two national dates of Argentina.
English cultural influence (reinforced at the end of the 19th century and beginnings of the 20th by British contacts with the Far East
) has also made the consumption of tea
very common.
To conclude the summary of infusions consumed in Argentina, it must be said that medicinal herbs are common in the whole country; among the most popular are: chamomile
, lanceleaf, boldo
, poleo, peperina, carqueja, thyme
, canchalagua, rue
(macho and hembra, that is, "male" and "female"), mallow
, rosemary
, passion flower
, bira bira, palán palán, muña muña, to mention only the main ones. Many of these herbs are also used in apéritif
s and bitters
, whether alcoholic or not.
Common restoranes or restaurant
es and rotiserias nearly anywhere in Argentina today serve (into the small hours) quickly prepared meals that in the course of the 20th century came to be known as minutas, "short-order dishes." Some of the dishes included in the category of minutas are milanesa
s, churrascos, bifes, escalopes
, tallarines, ravioles, ñoquis, although some are very typical of locations that sell food: "bifes a caballo" (beef steak
with two fried egg
s), "milanesa a caballo", "milanesa completa" (a milanesa with two fried eggs and a garnish of fries
), "revuelto Gramajo", "colchón de arvejas", "suprema de pollo" (a kind of chicken milanesa), matambres, "lengua a la vinagreta" and "sandwich
es" (sandwiches de miga
).
The variety of "sandwiches" (called thus in Argentina, as opposed to the Spanish emparedado) are nearly infinite. The most common are those made of milanesa, baked ham and cheese, pan de miga, toast
, pebete
s, panchos, choripanes
, morcipanes, etc.; from Montevideo
comes a different species of sandwich called the chivito
, even though it contains no goat meat.
Also worth mentioning are picadas, which are consumed at home or in bars
, café
s, "cafetines" and "bodegones"; they consist of an ensemble of plates containing cubes of cheese (typically from Mar del Plata
or Chubut
), pieces of salame, olive
s in brine
, french fries, maníes (peanut
s), etc.; picada
s are eaten accompanied by an alcoholic beverage ("fernet", beer, wine with soda
, to give some common examples).
To conclude, it should be noted that the people of Argentina greatly enjoy helado (ice cream, sorbet, etc.), especially the Italian kind. This fondness is not new: from the time of the Spanish colonies there has existed a type of sorbet made from fallen hail
or snow. (This has been documented; desserts were made with snow in Mendoza
at the beginning of the 19th century.)
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
-Spanish
Spanish Argentine
Spanish settlement in Argentina, that is the arrival of Spanish emigrants in Argentina, took place firstly in the period before Argentina's independence from Spain, and again in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
and Arabic populations
Arab Argentine
An Arab Argentine is an Argentine citizen or resident alien whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity, originating mainly from what is now Lebanon and Syria but also there are some individuals from the...
) with the wide scope of livestock and agricultural products that are abundant in the country. Argentine annual consumption of beef has averaged 100 kg (220 lbs) per capita, approaching 180 kg (396 lbs) per capita during the 19th century; consumption averaged 67.7 kg (149 lbs) in 2007. Beyond asado
Asado
Asado is a term used both for a range of barbecue techniques and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and southern Brazil. In the former countries asado is also the standard word for barbecue. An asado usually consists of beef alongside various...
(the Argentine barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
), no other dish more genuinely matches the national identity. Nevertheless, the country´s vast area and its cultural richness have led to a local cuisine of many more dishes.
Argentinian people are known for their love of eating. Social gatherings are commonly centered on sharing a meal. In fact, inviting people to have dinner at home is usually viewed as a symbol of friendship, warmth, and integration. Furthermore, Sunday family reunions are generally an occasion to eat asado or pasta.
Another feature of Argentine cuisine is the preparation of homemade food -- to celebrate an occasion, to meet friends, or, especially, to honor someone. The tradition of locally preparing food is passed down from generation to generation, and homemade food is also seen as a way to show affection.
On the other hand, the scope of restaurant meals on offer is exceptional; people can choose among a great variety of cuisines, prices, and flavours. Large cities count on unique gentrified restaurants offering international cuisine, and Argentina provides diners with other options, such as bodegones (inexpensive traditional hidden taverns), less stylish restaurants, and bars and canteens offering an enticing range of dishes at affordable prices.
Typical foods
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
diet, particularly beef. Grilled
Grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
meat from the asado
Asado
Asado is a term used both for a range of barbecue techniques and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and southern Brazil. In the former countries asado is also the standard word for barbecue. An asado usually consists of beef alongside various...
(barbecue) is a staple, with steak
Steak
A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
and beef rib
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
s especially common. Chorizo
Chorizo
Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....
(pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
), morcilla
Blood sausage
Black pudding, blood pudding or blood sausage is a type of sausage made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. The dish exists in various cultures from Asia to Europe...
(blood sausage), chinchulines
Chitterlings
Chitterlings are the intestines of a pig, although cattle and other animals' intestines are similarly used, that have been prepared as food. In various countries across the world, such food is prepared and eaten either as part of a daily diet, or at special events, holidays or religious...
(chitterlings), mollejas
Sweetbread
Sweetbreads or ris are culinary names for the thymus or the pancreas especially of the calf and lamb...
(sweetbread), and other parts of the animal are enjoyed. In Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
, lamb and chivito
Chivito
Chivito is the grilled meat of a young goat eaten in Argentina, sometimes as part of an asado. "Chivito" differs from "cabrito" in that chivito is a slightly older animal with less tender meat...
(goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
) are eaten more frequently than beef. Whole lambs and goats can be seen on the asado. Chimichurri
Chimichurri
Chimichurri or Chimmichurri is a variant of green sauce, though there is a red version as well , also used as a marinade, for grilled meat...
, a sauce
Sauce
In cooking, a sauce is liquid, creaming or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
of herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, garlic and vinegar, is often used as an accompaniment. (Most Argentines have a relatively delicate palate and do not include chili in their version of chimichurri).
Breaded
Breading
Breading is a dry grain-derived food coating for a piece of food such as meat, vegetable, poultry, fish, shellfish, crustacean, seitan, or textured soy, made from breadcrumbs or a breading mixture with seasonings. Breading can also refer to the process of applying a bread-like coating to a food...
and fried
Frying
Frying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed. In commerce, many fats are called oils by custom, e.g...
meat (schnitzel)— milanesa
Milanesa
The milanesa is a common meat dish mostly in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, as well as in other American countries to a lesser extent, where breaded meat fillet preparations are known as a milanesa The milanesa is a common meat...
s — are used as snack
Snack
A snack is a small portion of food eaten between meals. The food might be snack food—items like potato chips or baby carrots—but could also simply be a smaller amount of any food item.-Snacks and health:...
s, in sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es, or eaten warm with mashed potato
Mashed potato
Mashed potato is made by mashing freshly boiled potatoes with a ricer, fork, potato masher, food mill, or whipping them with a hand beater. Dehydrated and frozen mashed potatoes are available in many places...
es — purée
Purée
Purée and mash are general terms for cooked food, usually vegetables or legumes, that have been ground, pressed, blended, and/or sieved to the consistency of a soft creamy paste or thick liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., mashed potatoes or apple sauce...
. Empanadas — small pastries of meat, cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, sweet corn and a hundred other varieties — are a common sight for parties, starters
Entrée
An entrée is a dish served before the main course, or between two principal courses of a meal.The disappearance in the early 20th century of a large communal main course such as a roast as a standard part of the meal in the English-speaking world has led to the term being used to describe the main...
and picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
s across Argentina. Another variation is the "empanada gallega" (Spanish empanada, known simply as "empanada" in Spain. "Galician/gallego" is a common adjective referring to Spain.), which has a round shape and is more like a big, round meat pie mostly made with tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
and mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
("caballa" in Spanish). Vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s and salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s are important too for Argentines, even beyond the fried or mashed potato. Tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s, lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, eggplants, squashes
Squash (fruit)
Squashes generally refer to four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker...
and zucchini
Zucchini
The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
are common side dishes.
Just as much as beef, Italian staples, such as pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
and al dente
Al dente
In cooking, the Italian expression al dente describes pasta and rice or beansthat have been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. "Al dente" also describes vegetables that are cooked to the "tender crisp" phase - still offering resistance to the bite, but cooked through...
pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
, are eaten. Fideos
Noodle
The noodle is a type of food, made from any of a variety of doughs, formed into long thin ribbons, strips, curly-cues, waves, helices, pipes, tubes, strings, or other various shapes, sometimes folded. They are usually cooked in a mixture of boiling water and/or oil. Depending upon the type, noodles...
, Tallarines, ñoquis
Gnocchi
Gnocchi are various thick, soft dumplings. They may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg, and cheese, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients. The smaller forms are called gnocchetti....
, ravioles
Ravioli
Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not...
and canelones
Cannelloni
Cannelloni are a cylindrical type of pasta generally served baked with a filling and covered by a sauce. Some type of cannelloni need to be boiled beforehand, for some others is enough to use runnier sauces/filling....
can be bought freshly made in many establishments in the larger cities. Italian-style ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
is served in large parlour
Parlour
Parlour , from the French word parloir, from parler , denotes an "audience chamber". In parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, parlours are common names for certain types of food service houses, restaurants or special service areas, such as tattoo parlors...
s and even drive-through businesses.
In Chubut
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
, the Welsh community
Welsh settlement in Argentina
Y Wladfa refers to the Welsh settlement in Argentina, which began in 1865 and occurred mainly along the coast of Chubut Province in the far southern region of Patagonia...
is known for its teahouses, offering scones and Torta Galesa, which is rather like Torta negra
Bara brith
Bara brith, sometimes known as "speckled bread" , can be either a yeast bread enriched with dried fruit or something more like a fruitcake made with self-raising flour...
.
Sandwiches de miga
Sandwiches de miga
Sandwiches de miga are popular food items in Argentina where they are consumed mainly at parties. The sandwiches de miga are similar to the English cucumber sandwich, which is a typical tea-time food, and resembles the Italian Tramezzino. They are single or double layered sandwiches, made from a...
are delicate sandwiches made with crustless buttered white bread, very thinly sliced cured
Curing (food preservation)
Curing refers to various food preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, nitrates, nitrite or sugar. Many curing processes also involve smoking, the process of flavoring, or cooking...
meat and cheese and lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
. They are often purchased from entrepreneurial home cooks and consumed for a light evening meal.
Argentine food also reflects its European roots and sometimes varies in certain regions more than in others.
A sweet paste, dulce de leche is another national obsession, used to fill cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
s and pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
s, spread over toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
ed bread for breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
or as an ice cream flavour. Alfajor
Alfajor
An alfajor or alajú is a traditional Arabic confection found in some regions of Spain and then made with variations in countries of Latin America including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Mexico, after being taken there by the colonists. The archetypal alfajor entered Iberia during the period...
es are shortbread
Shortbread
Shortbread is a type of unleavened biscuit which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts oatmeal flour. The use of plain white flour is common today, and other ingredients like ground rice or cornflour are sometimes added to alter the texture...
cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche or a fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
paste. The "police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
man's" or "truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
driver's" sweet is cheese with quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
paste or dulce de membrillo
Dulce de membrillo
Dulce de membrillo or Carne de membrillo in Spanish, marmelada in Portuguese, codonyat in Catalan, cotognata in Italian, is a sweet spread or a dessert ....
. Dulce de batata
Dulce de batata
Dulce de batata is a traditional Argentine, Paraguayan and Uruguayan dessert, which is made of sweet potatoes. It is a sweet jelly, which resembles a marmalade because of its hard texture....
is made of sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
/yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
: this with cheese is the Martín Fierro
Martín Fierro
Martín Fierro is a 2,316 line epic poem by the Argentine writer José Hernández. The poem was originally published in two parts, El Gaucho Martín Fierro and La Vuelta de Martín Fierro . The poem is, in part, a protest against the modernist tendencies of Argentine president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento...
s sweet. Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
s, peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es, kiwifruit
Kiwifruit
The kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
s, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
s and plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
s are major export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
s.
A traditional drink
Drink
A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to fulfilling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society.-Water:...
of Argentina is an infusion
Infusion
An infusion is the outcome of steeping plants with desired chemical compounds or flavors in water or oil.-History:The first recorded use of essential oils was in the 10th or 11th century by the Persian polymath Avicenna, possibly in The Canon of Medicine.-Preparation techniques:An infusion is very...
called mate
Mate (beverage)
Mate , also known as chimarrão or cimarrón, is a traditional South American infused drink, particularly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern states of Brazil, south of Chile, the Bolivian Chaco, and to some extent, Syria and Lebanon...
(in Spanish, mate, with the accent on the first syllable). The dried leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
and twig
Twig
A twig is a small thin terminal branch of a woody plant. Twigs are critically important in identification of trees, shrubs and vines, especially in wintertime. The buds on the twig are an important diagnostic characteristic, as are the abscission scars where the leaves have fallen away...
s of the yerba mate
Yerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
plant (Ilex paraguariensis) are placed in a small cup, also called mate, usually made from a gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
, but also from bone or horn
Drinking horn
A drinking horn is the horn of a bovid used as a drinking vessel. Drinking horns are known from Classical Antiquity especially in Thrace and the Balkans, and remained in use for ceremonial purposes throughout the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period in some parts of Europe, notably in Germanic...
. The drink is sipped through a metal or cane straw
Straw
Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalks of cereal plants, after the grain and chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and...
called a bombilla. Mate can be sweetened with sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, or flavor
Flavor
Flavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat as well as temperature and texture, are also very important to the overall...
ed with aromatic herbs or dried orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
peel
Peel (fruit)
Peel, also known as rind or skin, is the outer protective layer of a fruit or vegetable which could be peeled off. The rind is usually the botanical exocarp, but the term exocarp does also include the hard cases of nuts, which are not named peels since they are not peeled off by hand or peeler, but...
to hide its bitter flavour. Hot water is poured into the gourd at near-boiling point
Boiling point
The boiling point of an element or a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....
so as to not burn the herb and spoil the flavour. At family or small social gatherings, one mate may be shared by the group, with the host preparing the mate to the preference of each guest. When one guest is finished, the mate is returned to the host, who will then prepare a mate for another guest. This is considered an important social ritual. Mate cocido
Mate cocido
Mate cocido is an infusion typical of Southern Cone cuisine . It is traditionally prepared by boiling yerba maté in water, then strained and served in cups. It is a bitter tasting beverage, similar to mate but softer, with the same stimulating and nutritional properties...
is the same leaf, which rather than brewed
Boiling
Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding environmental pressure. While below the boiling point a liquid...
is boiled
Boiling
Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding environmental pressure. While below the boiling point a liquid...
and served, as coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
or tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, with milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
or sugar to taste.
Other typical drinks include wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
(occasionally mixed with carbonated water
Carbonated water
Carbonated water is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent....
known as soda); tea and coffee are equally important. Quilmes is the national brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of pale lager
Pale lager
Pale lager is a very pale to golden-coloured beer with a well attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness. The brewing process for this beer developed in the mid 19th century when Gabriel Sedlmayr took pale ale brewing techniques back to the Spaten Brewery in Germany and applied it...
, named after the town of Quilmes, Buenos Aires
Quilmes, Buenos Aires
Quilmes is a city in the . It is the capital of Quilmes Partido , and has a population of 230,810. It is located south of the capital of Argentina, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires....
, where it was first produced.
Regional differences
Argentine cuisine is heavily influenced by its European roots. Asado, dulce de leche, empanadas and yerba mate are found throughout Argentina. In many parts of the country, food is prepared differently and different kinds of foods are made; this includes to a smaller degree food from pre-ColumbianPre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
times, as in the Northwest.
Central region and las Pampas
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Rosario and Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
welcomed European immigrants
Argentines of European descent
Argentine people of European descent belongs to several communities that has migrated to Argentina from Europe, contributing to the country's cultural and demographic variety...
, including, above all, those of Italian
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
and Spanish
Spanish Argentine
Spanish settlement in Argentina, that is the arrival of Spanish emigrants in Argentina, took place firstly in the period before Argentina's independence from Spain, and again in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
descent. Nevertheless, there was also a migratory flow of German, Swiss
Swiss Argentine
Until 1940, emigrated to Argentina, some 44.000 Swiss, who settled mainly in the provinces of Cordoba and Santa Fe and to a lesser extent, in Buenos Aires in 1856, founded in Santa Fe, the colony farm Esperanza, the mother of agricultural colonies in Argentina, and thus began a long process of...
and Middle-Eastern immigrants arriving in Argentina. Among the countless changes this melting pot brought about, it can be argued that it similarly led to the enrichment of the culinary art. As a result, dishes such as pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
, pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, polenta
Polenta
Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed from Italian.-Description:Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal , which can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired.As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier...
(cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
), stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
s, tortilla
Tortilla
In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...
s, puchero
Puchero
Puchero is a type of stew prepared in Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, the Philippines, and Spain, specifically the autonomous communities of Andalusia and the Canary Islands. The name comes from the Spanish word "puchero" which means "stewpot."...
s (stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
s), croquetas (fritters), sauce
Sauce
In cooking, a sauce is liquid, creaming or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
s, embutido
Embutido
An embutido , enchido or embotits is a generic term for sausages found in Spain, Portugal, the Philippines, and Central and South America....
s (sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s), chicken and meat courses caused daily menus to include a wider scope of options to choose from. Furthermore, the bread-making, desserts, pastries and dairy products industries have achieved a considerable development in this region.
As a matter of fact, eating the above mentioned dishes has developed a distinctively Argentine nuance. That is why, for example, the scope of pasta options comprises a wide variety of dishes ranging from spaghetti
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
, fusiles (fusilli
Fusilli
Fusilli are long, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta. The word fusilli presumably comes from fusile, archaic or dialectal word for "rifle" , referring to the spiral-grooved barrel of the latter...
), ñoquis (gnocchi
Gnocchi
Gnocchi are various thick, soft dumplings. They may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg, and cheese, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients. The smaller forms are called gnocchetti....
), ravioli
Ravioli
Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not...
and lasagne including cintas (pasta ribbons); the Argentine made sorrentinos, agnolotis, canelones (canneloni) and fetuchines (fetuchini
Fettuccine
Fettuccine is a type of pasta popular in Roman Cuisine. It is a flat thick noodle made of egg and flour wider than but similar to the tagliatelle typical of Bologna...
).
As regards pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, it is worth being dealt with separately. With very thin high-rising dough
Dough
Dough is a paste made out of any cereals or leguminous crops by mixing flour with a small amount of water and/or other liquid. This process is a precursor to making a wide variety of foodstuffs, particularly breads and bread-based items , flatbreads, noodles, pastry, and similar items)...
s, with or without cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, cooked in the oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
or a la piedra (on a stone oven), and stuffed with a countless scope of ingredients, it is one of those dishes that can almost certainly be eaten in almost every corner of this country. Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
and Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
also serve it with fainá
Faina
Faina is a small town and municipality in central-west Goiás state, Brazil. The population was 6,918 in a total area of 1,944.9 km².-Location and Connections:...
, which is a chick pea-flour dough placed over the piece of pizza. In fact, people say that what makes the Argentine pizza unique is the blending of Italian and Spanish cultures. At the turn of the 19th century, immigrants from Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
opened the first pizza bars, though the Spanish subsquently took charge of the pizza business.
With respect to bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
products, their consumption is said to be widely spread all around the country. Additionally, the deeply-rooted bread, pastry and dessert-making tradition actually derives from blending the above nationalities' products. Therefore, it is not unusual to find bakeries at a countrywide level selling not only a wide scope of breads, cookies and cakes, but also pastries (the latter resembling a sort of roll pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
) whose main dough ingredient may be either butter or fat, and which may be simple or stuffed with dulce de leche
Dulce de leche
Dulce de leche is a thick,creamy, caramel-like milk-based sauce or spread.Literally translated, dulce de leche means "sweet from milk". It is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from caramelised sugar. It is a popular sweet in Latin America, where...
(milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
jam), crema pastelera, quince or apple jelly, among other fillings. The most popular type of pastry is said to be that of medialunas (based upon the well-known croissants). Furthermore, another type of bread products refers to sandwiches de miga
Sandwiches de miga
Sandwiches de miga are popular food items in Argentina where they are consumed mainly at parties. The sandwiches de miga are similar to the English cucumber sandwich, which is a typical tea-time food, and resembles the Italian Tramezzino. They are single or double layered sandwiches, made from a...
, made only with thin layers of white bread
White bread
White bread is made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ have been removed through a process known as milling. Milling gives white flour a longer shelf life by removing the bran which contains oil, allowing products made with it, like white bread, the ability to survive storage and...
(generally referred to as crustless bread) and stuffed with food items ranging from ham and cheese to other more sophisticated combinations such as raw ham, tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs, tuna, lettuce, red pepper, and the like.
Desserts and sweets are usually stuffed or covered with dulce de leche
Dulce de leche
Dulce de leche is a thick,creamy, caramel-like milk-based sauce or spread.Literally translated, dulce de leche means "sweet from milk". It is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from caramelised sugar. It is a popular sweet in Latin America, where...
, which is made of milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. The latter can be usually eaten alone or on top of cakes, alfajor
Alfajor
An alfajor or alajú is a traditional Arabic confection found in some regions of Spain and then made with variations in countries of Latin America including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Mexico, after being taken there by the colonists. The archetypal alfajor entered Iberia during the period...
es, panqueques (creppes
Crêpe
A crêpe or crepe , is a type of very thin pancake, usually made from wheat flour or buckwheat flour . The word is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled". While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is widespread in France...
) and pastries, or as a topping spread over flan
Flan
Crème caramel , flan , or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top...
. As to Chantilly cream, it is widely consumed and used in preparing sweets and desserts. Additionally, cakes, sponge cakes and puddings are very popular dishes. Italian ice-creams in this region also achieved a significant degree of development by adding local flavors that somehow preserved the local spirit involved in their preparation.
Even though the origin of asado
Asado
Asado is a term used both for a range of barbecue techniques and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and southern Brazil. In the former countries asado is also the standard word for barbecue. An asado usually consists of beef alongside various...
may be traced back to the Pampas, it goes without saying that it may be eaten all over the country. In fact, it entails manifold types of meat which are generally eaten as follows: achuras (offal
Offal
Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...
) (the cow´s inner parts) and morcilla (blood sausage) and sometimes also a provoleta
Provoleta
Provoleta is a trademark for more than 40 years which corresponds to a Argentine variant provolone cheese whose name is “Spinning Argentine provolone cheese.”Is a barbecued cheese dish consumed in Argentina and Uruguay....
, which is a piece of provolone
Provolone
Provolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy, where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in North America and Japan...
cheese cooked on the grill with oregano
Oregano
Oregano – scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus – is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family . It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall,...
, are eaten first. Then comes the choripán
Choripán
Choripán is a type of sandwich with chorizo invented in Argentina.This type of chorizo sandwich is very popular in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uruguay...
(a kind of spiced sausage made with pork or lamb and placed between two slices of bread), and lastly meat such as asado de tira
Short ribs
Short ribs are a popular cut of beef. Beef short ribs are larger and usually more tender and meatier than their pork counterpart, pork spare ribs...
, vacío (hindquarter) lomo (tenderloin
Beef tenderloin
A beef tenderloin, known as an eye fillet in New Zealand and Australia, filet in France and Germany and fillet in the United Kingdom, is cut from the loin of beef. As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle ventral to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae,...
), colita de cuadril (rump
Round steak
A round steak is a steak from the round primal cut of beef. Specifically, a round steak is the eye round, bottom round, and top round still connected, with or without the "round" bone , and may include the knuckle , depending on how the round is separated from the loin. This is a lean cut and it...
), matambre (Rolled stuffed steak cut into slices and served cold, entraña (innards), and the list is certainly never-ending. It is quite common to eat and enjoy a dish known as cabrito al asador (roast kid or goat) in the province of Córdoba.
Northwest and Cuyo
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
or wheat are almost always used, including quinoa
Quinoa
Quinoa , a species of goosefoot , is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family...
(a cereal typically used in Incan cuisine), pepper
Pepper
- Plants and plant products :The genus Piper of the pepper family , including for example:* Black pepper, white and green pepper, Piper nigrum* Cubeb, Piper cubeba, also known as Java pepper* Long pepper, Piper longum...
s, squashes and tomatoes. The most celebrated dishes by far are humita
Humita
Humita is a Native American dish from pre-Hispanic times, and a traditional food in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. It consists of masa harina and corn, slowly cooked in oil....
and tamal, in which the corn husk is stuffed with the corn filling itself, seasonings or meat.
Nevertheless, this region is the most suitable scenario to taste empanada
Empanada
An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries in Latin America, Southern Europe and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing...
s, above all those stuffed with meat and offering different types of tempting varieties such as the meat empanada, salteña also filled with potatoes, or the empanada tucumana, which is stuffed with matambre and cut with a knife, or empanadas made with cheese. Empanadas are individually sized and closed savoury pastries which may be fried or baked in the oven and are generally eaten with the hands.
Stews such as locro
Locro
Locro is a hearty thick stew popular along the Andes mountain range. The dish is a classic Ecuadorian cheese and potato soup from the Ecuadorian cuisine. This is also a dish in Peruvian cuisine, which at one point held the center of the Inca empire. It typical also in Argentina prepared by the...
, carbonada and cazuela
Cazuela
Cazuela is the common name given to a variety of dishes, specially from South America. It receives its name from the cazuela in which is cooked...
s (casseroles) are also typical dishes characterizing this region, which also include pumpkin or potato pudding stuffed with meat.
Many of the sweets produced in this region, such as quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
, sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
, molasse
Molasse
The term "molasse" refers to the sandstones, shales and conglomerates formed as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse is deposited in a foreland basin, especially on top of flysch, for example that left from the rising Alps, or erosion in the Himalaya...
s and cayote jams
Jams
Jams is a line of clothing produced by Jams World. Jams shorts, a popular clothing item in the 1960s and 1980s, were closely associated with the surf scenes in California and Hawaii.-History:...
, have given rise to a very well-known and easily made dessert referred to as vigilante, or to so-called queso y dulce (where a piece of fresh cheese is served with one of the sweets mentioned above).
Mesopotamia
This is another area influenced by native Indians, particularly by the Guaraní tribe. Abounding in rivers and shores, it offers an irresistible diversity of fish species, such as dorado, pacú
Piaractus mesopotamicus
Pacú , pez chato , mbiraí, or piraí, is a South American ray-finned fish that is endemic to the Paraguay-Paraná River basin, though it has been introduced by aquaculture activities in a wider area....
, surubi
Pseudoplatystoma
Pseudoplatystoma is a genus of several South American catfish species of family Pimelodidae. The three species are known by a number of different common names. They inhabit the major rivers of north-eastern Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay and Brazil. They prefer the main channels and...
, boga
Leporinus obtusidens
Leporinus obtusidens is a South American species of ray-finned fish that inhabits the basins of the Paraná River and the Río de la Plata, the Uruguay River, and the São Francisco River...
and silverside
Atheriniformes
Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae...
.
Widely grown in this area, cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
is typically included in the region’s dishes, as are other components of meals, such as the chipá (a cassava and cheese bread), which originally came from Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. As regards products made with sugar, the mamon fruit (mamoncillo) jam is typical of the province of Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
.
The unmatched product in this region is certainly the yerba maté
Yerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
. Consumed countrywide, this product features a peculiarity of its own in this area: it is not only prepared with hot water, but, driven by the region’s high temperatures, it is common to see it prepared with cold water as well, in which case the beverage is known as tereré
Tereré
Tereré is an infusion of yerba mate / erva-mate , similar to mate but prepared with cold water rather than with hot, and in a slightly larger vessel...
.
Patagonia
Marine species such as salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
s, spider crab
Spider crab
The term spider crab can refer to various species of crab in the family Majidae. See crab spider for spiders of the Thomisidae family.*Japanese spider crab , the largest living species of crab, found on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean*Libinia emarginata, the portly spider crab, a species of crab...
s, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
s and other shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
and molluscs may be fished in this region's shores. Furthermore, trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
may be found in Patagonian rivers.
Rose hip
The rose hip, or rose haw, is the fruit of the rose plant, that typically is red-to-orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form in spring, and ripen in late summer through autumn.-Usage:...
s and elders, which are made into jams and marmalade
Marmalade
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var...
s.
The Northern
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
an settlements in this region have built up a large-scale production of chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
and its by-products, thus rendering them quintessential products in the region. Viennese and German cuisine and pastries are also typically associated with this region.
As far as meat is concerned, mutton and lamb, together with wild boar and venison all make up highly appealing dishes. Also typical of this southern region are smoked products, including salmon, stag, wild boar, and pheasant, among others.
Patagonia has also been exposed to the profound influence of native Indian tribes, in particular, those of the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
s and the Araucanos. A typical dish prepared by the latter is the curanto
Curanto
Curanto is a traditional food of Chiloé Archipelago that has spread to the southern areas of Chile and recently Argentina. It is traditionally prepared in a hole, about a meter and a half deep, which is dug in the ground...
(a term meaning "hot stone"). Its preparation involves digging a hole about 150 cm deep in the ground, within which incandescent stones are placed inside a bonfire. A bed of nalca or maqui leaves is arranged on top of the stones, and the following ingredients are added, in turn, on top of this bed: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, chorizos (pork sausages), potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples and holed squashes filled with cheese, cream and peas. Subsequently, all these ingredients are covered with leaves and damp pieces of cloth so as to ensure heat preservation. Next comes a layer of plenty of soil, thus turning the whole arrangement into a genuine pressure oven. Wisps of smoke start billowing out of the ground when the cooking process has come to an end.
Alcoholic beverages
Though a review of the cuisine of Argentina and its principal regions has been assembled, with abundant information, it would be incomplete if the article mentioned only the foods and beverages already cited.For example, though the importance of the production and consumption of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
(vino) has been discussed, it is important to note that beer (cerveza; the Italian birra is frequently used) in the second half of the 20th century (at the least) and in the first five years of the 21st, competes with wine in popularity. Breweries appeared in Argentina at the end of the 1860s, started by Alsatian
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
colonists; the first were almost in the downtown of Buenos Aires (el égido de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), and soon Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
brewers began industrial production of beer: San Carlos
San Carlos, Mendoza
San Carlos or Villa San Carlos is a town in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the head town of San Carlos Department...
in the province of Santa Fe, Río Segundo and Córdoba in the province of Córdoba, Quilmes (Quilmes beer
Cerveza Quilmes
Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes is an Argentine Brewery founded in 1888 in Quilmes, Buenos Aires Province, by Otto Bemberg, a German immigrant.The company quickly started growing and in the 1920s it was already the most popular beer in Buenos Aires. Since then, it has become something of a national...
) and Lavallol on the outskirts of La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
(in Buenos Aires Province), San Miguel de Tucumán in the province of Tucumán and on the outskirts of the cities of Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
and Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
.
The local consumption of beer has risen dramatically in the last generation: Argentines consumed 233 million liters in 1980 and 1.57 billion in 2007 (40 liters per capita). Outpacing that of wine since 2001, the growing production and consumption of beer has supported the existence of related events, for example the so-called Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
s (sic) or "Fiestas de la Cerveza" in locations that have a significant German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
population (Villa General Belgrano
Villa General Belgrano
Villa General Belgrano, a small mountain village of 6,260 inhabitants is named after the creator of the Argentine flag Manuel Belgrano and located in a lush green valley of Calamuchita in the hills in the Province of Córdoba in central Argentina.-History:...
in Córdoba, San Carlos and Esperanza
Esperanza, Santa Fe
Esperanza is a city in the center of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It has about 36,000 inhabitants as of the and it is the head town of the Las Colonias Department....
in the province of Santa Fe, etc.). Such celebrations copy, in an Argentine manner, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
's Oktoberfest, and similarly are tourist attractions. However, the presence of a vigorous population of Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic lineage, principally of Irish origin, has supported the creation of other celebrations of beer, often for marketing purposes, such as Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
(Día de San Patricio), patron of Ireland, which is celebrated with abundant libations.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Argentina is similar to that of the United States and somewhat lower than the Western Europe average. Argentines enjoy a variety of alcoholic beverages and Argentina can boast a varied array of elaboraciones, whether industrial or artisanal. Besides beer and wine, Argentines frequently drink cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
(here again, the heritage comes from Spain and Italy, more precisely from Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
and Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
). Cider is the most popular beverage of the middle and lower economic classes at Christmas and New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
(the upper classes proverbially preferring to celebrate with locally produced champagne, although real old-line "creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
" aristocrats will still drink cider, which is much more traditional).
Other widely consumed spirits are aguardiente
Aguardiente
Aguardiente , aiguardent , aguardente , and augardente are generic terms for alcoholic beverages that contain between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume...
(firewater) made from sugar cane, known as caña quemada ("burnt cane") or, simply, caña
Cana
In the Christian New Testament, the Gospel of John refers a number of times to a town called Cana of Galilee.-The marriage at Cana:Among Christians and other students of the New Testament, Cana is best known as the place where, according to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus performed his first public...
("cane"). (Although "caña" is really derived from "cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
" and was traditionally used in old Argentina for any brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, but especially peach brandy, caña de durazno.) A folkloric note about caña quemada: until June 21 it is traditional to drink caña quemada with ruda macho (a variant of common rue
Common Rue
The Common Rue , also known as Herb-of-Grace, is a species of rue grown as a herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula, southeastern Europe. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, especially because of its bluish leaves, and also sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil...
), it is supposed that this mixture prevents the flu and other illnesses. Caña competes, mainly in rural areas, with gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
("ginebra"—as in the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
kind of gin.)
There are many artisanally produced liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
s (distilled, flavored alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
ic beverages) in Argentina, for example those flavored with orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, anise
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
, coffee, cherry and, inevitably, dulce de leche. The Hesperidina
Hesperidina
Hesperidina is a classic Argentine aperitif with a minty orange flavor. Its taste is unique and not similar to other currently produced spirits.- History :...
is a type of liqueur made from orange peels, invented in Argentina around 1890. One may also encounter chitronchelo or (in Italian) citroncello, based on lemon. This beverage arrived with immigrants from the Mezzogiorno
Mezzogiorno
The Midday is a wide definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the southern half of the Italian state, encompassing the southern section of the continental Italian Peninsula and the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to a large number of minor islands...
, and is produced both artisanally and industrially (for example, at Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
).
Non-alcoholic specialties
The fact that mate is so prevalent in the Southern Cone
Southern Cone
Southern Cone is a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America, south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Although geographically this includes part of Southern and Southeast of Brazil, in terms of political geography the Southern cone has traditionally comprised Argentina,...
, however, must not lure visitors into thinking that other infusions are rare in the region; in Argentina especially, given that there is a strong European cultural imprint, the consumption of coffee is very common (141 cups per capita, annually). Chocolate infusions are also popular (the eating of chocolate is a Spanish influence—although the plant originated in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
), this consumption grows during autumn and winter, or in the cold regions of the country; there are two dates where consumption of chocolate infusions is traditional in the primary educational centres: 25 May and 9 July, that is, the two national dates of Argentina.
English cultural influence (reinforced at the end of the 19th century and beginnings of the 20th by British contacts with the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
) has also made the consumption of tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
very common.
To conclude the summary of infusions consumed in Argentina, it must be said that medicinal herbs are common in the whole country; among the most popular are: chamomile
Chamomile
Chamomile or camomile is a common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. These plants are best known for their ability to be made into an infusion which is commonly used to help with sleep and is often served with either honey or lemon. Because chamomile can cause uterine...
, lanceleaf, boldo
Boldo
Peumus boldus, the only species in the genus Peumus, is commonly known as Boldo . This tree of the family Monimiaceae is natively endemic to the central region of Chile, occurring from 33° to 40° southern latitude...
, poleo, peperina, carqueja, thyme
Thyme
Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
, canchalagua, rue
Rue
Rue is a genus of strongly scented evergreen subshrubs 20–60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia and southwest Asia. There are perhaps 8 to 40 species in the genus...
(macho and hembra, that is, "male" and "female"), mallow
Malva
Malva is a genus of about 25–30 species of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae , one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of...
, rosemary
Rosemary
Rosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...
, passion flower
Passion flower
Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. For information about the fruit of the passiflora...
, bira bira, palán palán, muña muña, to mention only the main ones. Many of these herbs are also used in apéritif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
s and bitters
Bitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...
, whether alcoholic or not.
Popular short-order dishes
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
es and rotiserias nearly anywhere in Argentina today serve (into the small hours) quickly prepared meals that in the course of the 20th century came to be known as minutas, "short-order dishes." Some of the dishes included in the category of minutas are milanesa
Milanesa
The milanesa is a common meat dish mostly in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, as well as in other American countries to a lesser extent, where breaded meat fillet preparations are known as a milanesa The milanesa is a common meat...
s, churrascos, bifes, escalopes
Escalopes
Escalopes are pieces of boneless meat which have been thinned out using a mallet, rolling pin or beaten with the handle of a knife, or alternative, combined with, or merely 'butterflied'...
, tallarines, ravioles, ñoquis, although some are very typical of locations that sell food: "bifes a caballo" (beef steak
Steak
A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
with two fried egg
Fried egg
A fried egg is a food made from an egg fried whole with minimal accompaniment. They are traditionally eaten for breakfast in western countries, but may be eaten at other times of the day.-China:...
s), "milanesa a caballo", "milanesa completa" (a milanesa with two fried eggs and a garnish of fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
), "revuelto Gramajo", "colchón de arvejas", "suprema de pollo" (a kind of chicken milanesa), matambres, "lengua a la vinagreta" and "sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es" (sandwiches de miga
Sandwiches de miga
Sandwiches de miga are popular food items in Argentina where they are consumed mainly at parties. The sandwiches de miga are similar to the English cucumber sandwich, which is a typical tea-time food, and resembles the Italian Tramezzino. They are single or double layered sandwiches, made from a...
).
The variety of "sandwiches" (called thus in Argentina, as opposed to the Spanish emparedado) are nearly infinite. The most common are those made of milanesa, baked ham and cheese, pan de miga, toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
, pebete
Pebete
A pebete is a simple Argentine sandwich, traditionally filled with cheese, cured meat, tomato and mayonnaise. The term pebete actually refers to the bread used for the sandwich; a soft oval bun with a spongy inside, and a thin toasted crust....
s, panchos, choripanes
Choripán
Choripán is a type of sandwich with chorizo invented in Argentina.This type of chorizo sandwich is very popular in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uruguay...
, morcipanes, etc.; from Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
comes a different species of sandwich called the chivito
Chivito (sandwich)
Chivito is the name of a sandwich-style national dish in Uruguay, and consists primarily of a thin slice of filet mignon , with mayonnaise, black or green olives, mozzarella, tomatoes and commonly also bacon, fried or hardboiled eggs and ham. It is served in a bun, often with a side of French fries...
, even though it contains no goat meat.
Also worth mentioning are picadas, which are consumed at home or in bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s, "cafetines" and "bodegones"; they consist of an ensemble of plates containing cubes of cheese (typically from Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
or Chubut
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
), pieces of salame, olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s in brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
, french fries, maníes (peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s), etc.; picada
Picada
The picada is one of the characteristic sauces and culinary techniques essential to Catalan cuisine. It is not an autonomous sauce like mayonnaise or romesco, but it is added as a seasoning during the cooking of a recipe....
s are eaten accompanied by an alcoholic beverage ("fernet", beer, wine with soda
Carbonated water
Carbonated water is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent....
, to give some common examples).
To conclude, it should be noted that the people of Argentina greatly enjoy helado (ice cream, sorbet, etc.), especially the Italian kind. This fondness is not new: from the time of the Spanish colonies there has existed a type of sorbet made from fallen hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
or snow. (This has been documented; desserts were made with snow in Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
at the beginning of the 19th century.)
Eating habits
In most parts of Argentina, lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Most of the cities (excluding busy ones, like Buenos Aires) close for lunch time. This is when most people return home to enjoy a large meal. Traditional lunches in Argentina are long and well developed.External links
- SaltShaker - A daily exploration of the culture, food, and restaurants of Buenos Aires.
- Argentina on two steaks a day
- Cocina Pop - Video-recipes of typical argentinean recipes, for anyone to be able to cook a typical argentinean meal anywhere in the world.