Good Eats

One of my favorite things about traveling, is discovering new foods! I had expectations of Argentina’s food being more similar to central American cuisine, with spices, rice and fajita wraps. Instead, I found that because of the Italian influence there are more pizzerias and pasta houses than burrito stands! The pizza is usually thin crust, little tomato sauce and overflowing with mozzarella cheese. The most popular pizzas are jamon y queso, with slices of ham and cheese, as well as napolitana, which is mozzarella, tomato slices and basil.

The pasta as well is very popular and full of cheese! Most popular is the Italian dish, gnocchi. Gnocchis are little rolled up pastas with cheese inside. They are delicious, but filling! Here, we have gnocchis on the last day of every month, a little tradition Julio does for the family.

Similar to American diets, Buenos Aires has choripans, or complete hotdogs. Choripans come complete with a hotdog, topped with ketchup, mustard, relish and fried sticks similar to potato sticks. They are a local favorite here.

Another local favorite as well as one of my favorites are the empanadas. Empanadas are baked pockets that are filled with either beef, jamon and queso, or anything else you can imagine. They are similar to hotpockets, but in the shape of a half moon. Empanadas come baked, or fried and sometimes even as a dessert filled with dulce de leche.

Dulce de leche, “sweet milk,” is a caramel spread which is put on everything, similar to our use of peanut butter. It comes in many forms such as, coffee flavors, ice cream, sandwich fillers and in alfahores as well.

Alfahores are pastries filled with dulce de leche. In between two cakes is a layer of dulce. The look similar to whoopie pies, but with white cake and caramel spread. There are hundreds of different types of alfahores to chose from. I love the cracker alfahores, covered with white chocolate as opposed to the soft cake alfahores covered with milk chocolate.

Apart from all the carbs, Argentina is most well known for it’s cattle industry. Every other restaurant in Buenos Aires is a parrilla, or steak house. You can smell the coal burning ovens from the street, roasting huge portions of meat on skewers. Because of the abundance of steak and meat, it is very easy to get a good portioned meal for very cheap. A three course steak meal in Buenos Aires costs a little over $20.

Also, Buenos Aires is popular in it’s hamburgesas completa. These massive burgers are topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, plenty of pickles, ham, and a fried egg. They make a mess, but the combination of meats and flavors is extraordinary!

Eating is not a problem in Buenos Aires, but there are days when I long for a peanut butter sandwich or an American burger! For now, I will munch on alfahores and empanadas while I can!