Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 45

FOOD AND DRINK
Traditionally, Argentine food could be
summed up in a single word: beef . Not
just any beef, but succulent, cherry-red,
healthy meat raised on some of the
greenest, most extensive pastures known
to cattle. The barbecue or asado remains
a national institution, but it's not the
whole story.
An asado is prepared on a parrilla (grill),
and this national dish is served everywhere,
at restaurants also known as parrillas .
Usually there's a set menu, but the
establishments themselves vary enormously.
Traditionally, you start off by eating the
offal before moving on to the choicer cuts,
but you can choose to head straight for
the steaks and fillets. The lightly salted
meat is usually served with nothing on it,
other than the traditional condiments of
chimichurri - olive oil with salt, garlic,
chilli pepper, vinegar and bayleaf - and
salsa criolla , similar but with chopped
onion, tomato and red pepper added.
Alongside the parrilla , pizza and pasta
are the mainstays of Argentine cuisine,
a reflection of the country's important
Italian heritage. Those staying in
Argentina for a while may get frustrated
by the lack of menu choices, particularly
in rustic areas, although the variety
of restaurants in the cities, especially
Buenos Aires, reflects a mosaic of
different communities who have migrated
to Argentina over the decades: not just
Italian and Spanish but Chinese, Middle
Eastern, German, Welsh, Japanese and
Peruvian. Vegetarians will find that there
are few options on most menus, but
staples such as basic salads, provoleta
(delicious melted cheese) and tartas
(a kind of quiche) are almost always
available, as well as pastas with meat-free
sauces. In larger towns vegetarian
restaurants are growing in popularity.
There are plenty of minutas or snacks
to choose from. The choripán , a large
sausage in a soft roll, is a national
favourite, as is the ubiquitous milanesa,
a breaded veal escalope. Lomitos are
grilled steak sandwiches, the local answer
to the hamburger. Excellent local-style
fast food is also available in the form of
empanadas , pasties that come with an

array of fillings, from the traditional beef
or mozzarella cheese to salami, roquefort
and chard. Humitas are made of steamed
creamed sweetcorn, served in neat parcels
made from the outer husk of corn cobs.
Tamales are maize-flour balls, stuffed with
minced beef and onion, wrapped in
maize leaves and simmered. The typical
main dish, locro , is a warming, substantial
Andean stew based on maize, with
onions, beans and meat thrown in.

1

WHERE TO EAT
Argentines love dining out and, in Buenos
Aires especially, places stay open all day
and till very late: in the evening hardly
any restaurant starts serving dinner before
8.30pm, and in the hotter months - and
all year round in Buenos Aires - very few
people turn up before 10pm. By South
American standards the quality of
restaurants is high. You can keep costs
down by taking advantage of restaurants'
menú del día or menú ejecutivo - good-
value set meals for as little as AR$40 served
primarily, but not exclusively, at lunchtime.
In the evening tenedor libre restaurants are
just the place if your budget's tight. Here,
you can eat as much as you like, they're
usually self-service (cold and hot buffets
plus grills) and the food is fresh and well
prepared, if a little dull.
Cheaper hotels and more modest
accommodation often skimp on
breakfast : you'll be lucky to be given
more than tea or coffee, and some bread,
jam and butter, though medialunas
(small, sticky croissants) are sometimes
also served. The sacred national delicacy
dulce de leche (a type of caramel) is often
provided for spreading on toast or bread,
as is top-notch honey.

DRINK
Fizzy drinks ( gaseosas ) are popular with
people of all ages and are often drunk to
accompany a meal. Although few beans are
grown in the country, good, if expensive,
coffee is easy to come by in Argentina. In
the cafés of most towns and cities you can
find a decent espresso, or delicious café con
leche (milky coffee) for breakfast. Mate , the
bitter national drink, prepared in a special
gourd and drunk through a metal straw