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Argentina Cuisine

Argentines dine late even during the week, Porteños never have dinner before 8:30-9:00 in the evening. The most popular areas are Palermo, Recoleta, Puerto Madero, Las Cañitas and La Boca.You should make reservations first, especially in some restaurants, or you will have to wait for hours before you get a table of your liking.

The variety of cuisines reflects the different communities who have migrated to Argentina over the decades, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Middle Eastern, German and even Japanese and Chinese food have become fashionable. In Buenos Aires, nearly every national cuisine is available, but such variety is almost unheard of in the provinces. Smaller cities in the rest of the country are a bit slow to follow, but several regions also have their own particular type of cuisine. Arab and Middle Eastern spicy dishes are popular in Mendoza and in the north of the country. In the south, you will find that lamb and mutton dishes prevail over the variety, which require beef. River fish are excellent in the northeast and you have your choice of the tastiest and freshest fish every time.

In neighborhoods such as Palermo Viejo and Las Cañitas, ethnic and vegetarian meals are easy to locate, and there are scores of chic eateries offering light, healthy cuisine. Recoleta and Puerto Madero have a variety of fashionable restaurants. The neighborhood known as La Boca, is the area where Italians from Genoa first settled, and while it contains bohemian studios and warehouses now, it also has pastas restaurants and pizzerias. Italian favorites such as fresh pastas - gnocchi, ravioli, lasagna, spaghettis - are a welcome alternative in many restaurants. Pastas and many other Italian dishes are found on virtually every menu in Argentina. The Matambre, a dish that means "hunger killer" is reminiscent of the Italian rolled, flank steak stuffed with, boiled egg, diced carrots, basil, red pepper and spices, is boiled and usually served as a cold dish, with potatoes mixed with mayonnaise called “Ensalada Rusa” (Russian Salad). There are other variations also found.

Argentina is world renowned for its beef. Many restaurants specialize in this tradition and thus have a large grill with all kinds of prepared meat proudly within view of the sitting area or even viewable from the outside. Walk into any Argentine restaurant you will get an excellent selection of barbecued meat. Parilla is the Spanish word for grill, is often the word you will find included in the name of restaurants or simply by it self all around the country.

In the parrilas, before you start your lunch or dinner you may be offered a “Picada”( picking – nibbling). Picadas, are plates with cheese, salami, anchovies, olives, peanuts, and precciuto (ham) served an entrée. When you order an asado or tira de asado (thick strip of rib roast if prepared on the grill, but thicker, with more bone, when done on the asador (vertical split), you will find a large selection of beef at your table. Chorizo is a spicy sausage, salchicha is a long, thin, slightly less spicy sausage, and morcilla is a blood sausage. A “Parrillada Mixta” (mixed grill) which, in addition to most or all of the above, will contain “riñones” (kidneys), “mollejas” (sweetbread), “chinchulin” (the lower intestine, truly delicious when well crisped), “ubre” (udder) and “higado” (liver). Chicken is frequently included as well. Other typical dishes are “Bife a caballo” (beef on horseback) it is steak topped with a fried egg. “Churrasco” is grilled steak and “milanesa” (wiener schnitzel). Many restaurants offer “asado con cuero”, whole beef roasted complete with hide and hair. You also have roast beef with baked potatoes (Carne al horno con papas)

Most restaurants or parrilas do not provide any sauces on the side, but you may ask for “Chimichurri”, an oil based sauce, the ingredients are olive oil, white wine vinegar, chopped Spanish onion, pressed garlic cloves, chopped parsley, dried oregano, red pepper, lemon juice, and salt to taste, or, there is “Salsa Criolla”, an onion and tomato based spicy sauce. If you prefer something “picante” (spicy), you may be offered Tabasco sauce.

To order a steak prepared to your liking you should ask for bien cocido (well done), a punto (medium rare), or jugosa (rare, literally "juicy"), or muy jugosa (very rare).

Salads are a must with the “asado” the most common one is “Criolla” with lettuce, tomato, and onions. .

For dessert, the "Flan con dulce de leche" (Caramel custard with milk caramel topping) is the nations favorite, another favorite is “Ensalada de frutas con helado” (Fruit salad with Ice cream), try some “Budin de pan con dulce de leche” (Bread pudding - sweet - with caramel topping).

Argentina is renowned for its excellent wines and because it is popular locally as well as world wide, prices have remained very reasonable; therefore, Argentine wines are an excellent choice. You should try a red from the Mendoza or La Rioja provinces.

Quilmes is the national beer you will find it everywhere, from a pizza shop to the most expensive restaurant, other international brands are available.

All the top brand “Gaseosas” (sodas-soft drinks) are available as well as mineral water, “Agua mineral sin gas” (non gasified Mineral water) or “Agua mineral con gas” (Gasified mineral water) or simply ask for a “Soda” (Soda water). The fruit juices are also delicious. Tap water is drinkable in Buenos Aires.

In the evening the “Tenedor libre” (free fork) restaurants are just the place if you want to save some money. Here, you can eat as much as you like, for a set price,beverages are paid for separately (they are a bit more expensive). They are usually self-service (cold and hot buffets plus grills) and the food is fresh and well prepared, you can find Chinese food in most of them.

If you are feeling hungry during the day, there are plenty of “Minutas” or snacks to choose. The “Sandwich de lomito” is a crunchy bread roll sandwich filled with a juicy slice of steak, lettuce, tomato and if you wish, cheese and ham, while the “chivito” is made with a less tender cut. “Sandwich de Milanesa”, wiener schnitzel in a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, hamburger-style, it's very popular.Excellent local-style fast food is available in the form of “Empanadas”, turnovers or pasties that come with a variety of non-traditional fillings, including tuna, and Roquefort cheese. The conventional fillings are beef, ham, and cheese, chicken. “Humitas” are made of steamed creamed sweet corn. At cafés, a popular snack is the “Tostado”, a toasted cheese and ham sandwich, sometimes called a “Carlitos”.

Good coffee is easy to come by in Argentina. In the cafés of most towns and cities you will find very decent espressos, they serve it exceptionally strong so when ordering you should ask for a “Cortado”, which is brewed using a little milk as to loosen its strength, you have the delicious “café con leche” (coffee and milk), or “Submarino” (submarine) this is a long glass with a chocolate bar submerged in hot milk, you drink it once the chocolate melts.

The national beverage of Argentina is mate, a tea brewed from the dried leaves of a native holly tree. The way to drink is hot water (not boiled) is poured over the leaves of yerba (with or without sugar) in a mate (gourd), once the gourd has filled with water, the leaves expand and fill the mate, you then sip through a “bombilla” (straw with a strainer) made of silver or just stainless steel.The sharing of mate is more of an Argentine ritual than a plain beverage, and is sometimes offered by the locals as an expression of acceptance and friendship.