Even though it is a typical dish of Paraguayan gastronomy it became very popular in the regions of the northeast of Argentina (in the borders with Paraguay), and with the pass of time, it arrived at the big capital city: Buenos Aires. Besides, it already existed in time of “guaraníes”, the indigenous or natives that used to live in the lands that today are part of both countries.
The “chipá” is a variety of bread made with manioc flour, milk, cheese, eggs and butter; from which are formed little balls. The lightness of the manioc starch, thinly milled, gives it a special texture and allows the melted cheese master the flavour. Occasionally, anise seeds can be added.
LOCRO
It is a hearty thick stew popular all along the Andes mountain range. It has been prepared by the different native Indian tribes, leaving on these lands at the time of the Spanish conquest. Its origin dates before the Spanish colonial times.
The pre-Hispanic people based their diet on sweet corn, bean and potato.
The defining ingredients are corn, meat (usually beef, but sometimes beef jerky or chorizo), and vegetables like onion, beans, squash or pumpkin. The starch in these ingredients gives the dish a consistency of a cream. Its cooking over a low heat takes several hours. A red hot sauce made from red peppers and paprika is served on the side.
It is mainly eaten in winter. It is a typical and local dish to celebrate the national holidays like 25th, May (the May Revolution) and 9th, July (Date of Independence).
CARBONADA
It is a typical stew of the Argentinean North West, an extraordinary sweet-sour combination of beef, vegetables and fruits. The fruits and vegetables dominate the meat, which is cut into small pieces like cubes. The meat is added to a pan with fried chillies. We add to this hot water and leave it boil for about one hour. And know comes the rest of ingredients.
The sweetness comes from peaches, raisins and a dash of sugar. Carrots and yams or sweet potatoes add sweetness too. The others are all local south-American vegetables: tomatoes, corn and potatoes. The mixture always has the consistency of a broth.
The word “carbonada” is because this stew has to be cooked till the log of the fire is “carbonizado” (charred).
The meat is very tender because it is cooked in boiling water, and the mixture of ingredients gives its peculiar flavour.
MIGA SANDWICH (bread crumb)
The “sandwich de miga” is similar to the British “tea sandwich”, but bigger! Also, it is compared with the “club sandwich”.
It is made of a white bread with the crust cut off. It is unique, and typical of my country.
There are simples (two slices of bread and in the middle the ingredient) or triples (another slice of bread in the middle – so three in total- , make two spaces where to put different ingredients).
The slices of bread are spread with butter or mayonnaise, so the ingredients can be stick to the bread.
There is an endless variety of ingredients to fill a “sandwich de miga”, that can be just one or be combined: ham and cheese, prosciutto and cheese, tomato, lettuce, chopped egg, salami, nuts, anchovy, tuna, sweet corn, Roquefort cheese, olives, palm hearts, pineapple, etc.
A very Argentinean typical version of this sandwich is the “tostado” (toasted).
A “sandwich de miga” toasted till the slices of bread are brown and crunchy.
Generally they are filled with ham and cheese, which is melted easily.
It is very popular to have it for breakfast or tea time with “café con leche” or “submarino” (have a look at the section Typical Infusions and Drinks).
At Rosario city, in Santa Fe province, and some cities of the countryside, this type of sandwich it is called “carlitos”.
MILANESAS
The "milanesa" is a beef steak coated in breadcrumbs and egg. You can make it fried or baked. The typical combination it is with "papas fritas" (French-fried potatoes).
You can also find the "milanesa" as a filling of a sandwich.
In our slang we call it "milanga".
Usually, we prepare them with the followings bovine cuts: nalga (beef round), peceto (eyeround), cuadrada (bottom round), lomo (loin), cuadril (rump).
We prepare also "chicken milanesas". If we make them with hindquarter they are called "milanesas de pollo", and if they are prepared with the breast ("pechuga") they are called "supremas".
There are different types of “milanesas”:
Milanesa "a caballo" (on horse): it is made of veal and with two fried eggs on it.
Milanesa "napolitana" (Neapolitan): it is prepared like a pizza: tomato sauce covered with ham and melted mozzarella cheese. This variety was created in a restaurant of Buenos Aires called La Napolitana or Napoli.
Milanesa "a la Suiza" (Switzerland): it is covered with béchamel sauce, pepper and melted cheese.
PASTAS & PIZZAS
One of the most important influences that the Italian immigrants have left in our country it was in gastronomy. Italian dishes, which were adapted to our culture to make them very Argentinean.
Pizzas that are typically Argentinean:
the "pizza canchera" or "de cancha" (only the dough and a bit of tomato sauce), the "pizza or fugazetta rellena" (filled with ham and cheese, with onions on it), the "pizza por metro" (it is made with a rectangular shape, so you can serve it by metre), the "pizza a la parrilla" (grilled pizza), "fugaza con queso" (onion pizza with mozzarella cheese).
The Argentinean pizzas have a lot of tomato sauce and are covered with a cheese like mozzarella. They can have anchovies, ham, olives, red peppers, hard-boiled eggs, salami (called "pizza calabresa"), pineapple slices, palm hearts, mushrooms or seafood.
The pizzas are prepared with different types of dough:
"A la piedra" (stone): it is thin and crisp. It is baked in a firebrick floor, hence its name.
"De molde" (baking tin): it is much raised till 2 cm of high. It is called like that because it is prepared in a baking pan or tin.
"Media masa" (half dough): you can find it in grocery stores or supermarkets as "pre-pizzas". They come just with a little bit of tomato sauce, so you can make it at home with the ingredients that you like the most.
Other typical Italian dish to have with pizza is the "faina” (picture).
We eat one slice of pizza over one slice of “faina”. It is also called Farinata (which literally means made of flour in the Italian language). It is similar to the socca from Nice, France. It is a thin, crisp, pizza-like pancake made of chickpea flour.
Among the pastas we mainly have: “tallarines” (tagliarini, noodles), “ravioles” (raviolis), “ñoquis” (gnocchi, dumplings), “canelones” (cannelloni - filled & baked pasta rolls), “lasaña” (lasagne) and “sorrentinos” (an Argentinean variety of ravioli).
For the filled pastas we use ground beef, ham and cheese, vegetables or ricotta cheese.
Our pastas are usually loaded of "tuco", an Italian word coming from sugo that means juice. The "tuco" is a tomato sauce very seasoned that usually is prepared with "estofado" (beef cooked in the tomato sauce).
We had a very important tradition at the moment to eat the pasta: to dip a bread slice into the “tuco”, with the excuse to check its flavour and cooking.
Another sauce that we have with pasta is the "pesto", made of basil and olive oil.
Other Italian dish that we have here is the "polenta” that comes from the north of Italy. In Argentina we do not have it as a garnish or with other meal; it is a dish in itself. We prepared it with tomato sauce and melted cheese.
* Once in our plate, pastas and polenta are seasoned with grated parmesan cheese ("queso rallado").
PASTEL DE PAPA
The "pastel de papa" is the Argentine version of the Irish shepherd’s pie, which it is made with lamb. Our version it is made with beef and we add ingredients that there are not in the Irish one: olives, raisins or hard-boiled eggs.
It is a base of ground beef and onions covered with a mashed potatoes layer. The potatoes are later covered with melted cheese.
It is a delicious and succulent dish to enjoy in winter time!
FISH & SEAFOOD
We have to admit that the Argentineans, we are not fish lovers. The excellent quality of the beef has displaced it as a main dish at home, in spite of the five thousand kilometres of Argentina coastline. Another reason is that here, eating fish is more expensive than beef.
Actually, it depends a lot which part of country you are. Naturally, the cities that are near ports or rivers eat much more fishes than the mountain or pampas villages.
There are two groups of fishes: the river ones, fresh-water fishes (pacu, dorado, surubí, boga, pejerrey), and the ones that come from the ocean: the "merluza" (hake) is the most popular.
The river fishes we have them usually grilled.
In Patagonia are very popular the trout of the lakes, and more to the south, in Ushuaia, the “centolla” (spider crab).
The ocean coasts and the lakes of Patagonia provide seafood & crustaceans. They are used to prepare pâtés, casseroles and stews. The most popular: squids, octopus, pollock, salmon, oysters, scampi.
The squids ("calamares" or "rabas") are marinaded with flour and eggs, fried and served with lemon. We called this dish "rabas a la romana" (the one in the photo).
Some seafood it is used as a filling for the "empanadas", like the "empanada de atún" (tuna), that is very popular.
The ASADO
Most of the restaurants in BA, offer in their menus the typical "Argentinean asado". People say that here you can find the best beef of the world. Come on and confirm this yourself!
The word "asado" is used for three different choses:
1. "Asado" is a bovine cut: the ribs. That we call "costillar".
2. "Asado" is also a type of meat cooking. It is roasted meat.
There are two options for cooking it:
a) Asado "a la parrilla" (grill). The meat is grilled on firewood or charcoal embers. The real “asado” is the one made with "leña" (firewood). The best woods are the hard ones, like the quebracho or carob tree, because the soft ones get burned very quickly and they do not give good embers.
We also call "parrilla" the places that offer this traditional type of meal. So "parrillada" is the dish that has several types of meat grilled. It is in all the restaurant menus and usually they are for two or four people.
b) Asado "al asador" or "en cruz" (cross). In this case the meat is placed in a cross-shaped stake, in vertical position, surrounding by the embers on the ground. This type of cooking is tastier than the first one, because the meat is being cooked very slowly while the fat of the meat it is melting on it.
3. "Asado" it is also the reunion or the social meeting where we have the roast meat with several salads and red wine!
The salad that it is always on the table is the "mixta" (mixed). It is the most typical one to have with the beef: tomato, lettuce and onion. Then, you can have as many salads as families eating asado.
"Let's make an asado" or "I invite you an asado" are typical expressions for the Argentineans.
The asado can incorporate other types of meat. Although the most popular one is the cow and its different cuts, it is common to add pork, chicken, lamb and suckling pig.
It is very popular to eat some sausages like appetizer before the roast steak. We prepare "morcilla" (black pudding), that it is made with pork blood and onions; "chorizo" (sausage), made with pork and cow meat; and "salchicha parrillera" (grill sausage) - it is like the chorizo but made with thinner minced meat. 
The chorizo has become something essential in an asado: the "choripan". It is a sandwich of “chorizo” (“chori”: chorizo, “pan”: bread). It is usually served before the steak or beef - the main course - which cooking time is slower. Anyway, the choripan can be the main course of what we called a "choriceada", where we prepared only “choripan”.
Many times, the asado also adds the typical "provoleta". It is a provolone cheese melted on the grill. We can have it as an appetizer or after eating the meat. It is difficult to explain its exquisite flavour, you have to try it!
As we prepared the steak only with salt before cooking it, it is common to use a condiment for the beef, once it is cooked: the "chimichurri". It is a sort of spicy sauce made of different spices, aromatic herbs and natural vegetables: garlic, red pepper, parsley, oregano, sweet pepper, thyme, onion and bay leaf. All of them mixed with water, vinegar, sugar, salt and oil.
The most typical bovine cuts are:
- Vacío: literally, it means “empty”. It is the lateral region of the beef hindquarter, between the ribs and the hip. It is a no-bone and low –fat, very tasty cut.
- Tira de asado: (picture). Short ribs roast. The ribs are cut like strips (tiras) in a horizontal way. It is the most popular cut to do it grill.
- Matambre: Flank steak. It is typical Argentinean cut. It is a lean beef between the ribs and the skin of the cow. It is thin, tender and tasty. We prepared it like a roll, filled with vegetables; or open and covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, we call this "matambre a la pizza".
- Lomo: Tenderloin. In Spain it is called "solomillo". It is the conical and elongated muscle next to the backbone and under the ribs. It is always tender and it has a delicious flavour. It is the perfect cut to season with "chimichurri".
- Entraña: Literally means "entrails". It is another typical Argentinean cut. It is the part of the diaphragm next to the ribs. It is a vey popular cut because of its quick cooking.
- Bife de Chorizo: Chorizo Steak. No-bone steak placed in the external face of the cow back. When it is cut to be separated of the bone, before cutting it for steaks, it has a shape similar to the "chorizo" (sausage). The steaks are very thick, like 5 or 6 cm of high. This cut it is called "chuleta" in Spain.
Beef degrees of cooking:
When you are in a restaurant, in the moment to ask your roast beef, it is very important to explain the degree of cooking that you prefer. It is not the same all around the world!
* Vuelta y vuelta (rare beef) - For us, this is almost raw. The steak hardly touches the grill. It is cooked very few seconds. It has a very thin browned layer outside and the meat inside it is almost raw, very red. If you like the meat not very cooked, you have to ask for this. 
* Jugoso (medium rare) - The meat must be browned outside and with a lot of juice and pink inside. Not with blood inside! You can ask for "jugosa" or "roja" (red).
* A punto (medium) - Inside, it will be a little drier, but juicy. The meat is taken out from the fire just in time. This is what the Argentineans, we love!
* Bien cocido (very well done) - It has a dark brown colour outside and dry inside, with a brown colour juice. So, you have to ask for "bien cocido".
"A round of applause for the asador" is the phrase that finishes an “asado”: a real ceremony for the Argentineans!
The "asador" is the person (mostly men) that prepares the fire, the one that grills the meat, the one that check that each person has the steak cooked how they demanded … so, he is the most important part in the meal. That is why he or she deserves a round of applause in the end.
This traditional Argentinean custom of eating "asado" it is like a ceremony because it is not only the fact to eat roasted meat.
Like its preparation takes a long time we begin in the morning and we finish in the afternoon. That is why we do it mostly on Sundays.
We have to prepare the fire almost two hours in advance before putting the meat in the "asador" or "parrilla". While the firewood or coal embers are getting hot and the fire is beginning, we start this banquet with a "picada” that is taken with an aperitif or vermouth.
PICADA
It is a typical dish of the Argentinean gastronomy that has several types of food served in small quantity. It is similar to the Spanish "tapas". It is not an individual or personal dish because all the people eat from the same plate. It can be eaten between meals, like an appetizer, or as a main course if it has more food.
The different ingredients are distributed in small separated plates or in a special compartment tray.
The "picada" can goes from a few basic ingredients (ham, cheese, olives, peanuts, chips) to a big special plate with several hot ingredients, a huge variety of cheeses and different types of bread.
Some common ingredients for a “picada” are: salami, Roquefort cheese, French fries, black pudding, slices of pizza, prosciutto, bacon, mortadella, parmesan cheese, pates, seafood, palm hearts, sausages, pickled vegetables, etc.
A well-done "picada" always goes with bread, usually cut in slices, or some salad biscuits. The bread can also be toasted or seasoned with garlic.
One of the main aspects of a "picada", hence its name, is that each person can take the ingredients that they want to eat. This is what we call "picar" (nibble, to take a little beat of each ingredient).
While the meat is being roasted, that depending on the cut it can take 30 minutes or one hour, it is the time to have the "empanadas" and to open a red wine.
EMPANADAS
They are a typical dish in this country and very popular at people's home. They are prepared also in Chile and Uruguay. They are like a filled pasty which dough it is made with wheat flour and animal shortening.
There are as many fillings (in spanish "rellenos") as ideas of the cook. The most popular ones are: beef (hot/spicy or mild/smooth), chicken, corn, ham and cheese, onion and cheese, vegetables, tomato and mozzarella cheese, Roquefort cheese, etc.
The beef "empanada" varies in accordance with the Argentinean region where it is made. In each corner of the country something it is added to make it different: raisins, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, olives, etc.
So the people can know which is the filling for each "empanada", the cook close the "empanada" with a "repulgue" (like a plait). Each filling has its own "repulgue".
The "empanadas" can be cooked in the oven or made them fried. The ones that we mostly have before an "asado" are the fried beef ones. The baked "empanadas" are a meal themselves, and like the pizza, there are lots of places that deliver them to your home.
You can make the "empanadas" at home: preparing the dough yourself or buying the dough slices that are called "tapas para empanadas" (dough for turnover pastries). You find them in a pack or packet of 12 or 20 units and you can buy them in any grocery store or supermarket.
There are also "empanadas dulces" (sweet empanadas) that we have as dessert. They can be called "empanadillas". They have sugar on it and they are filled with raisins, “dulce de leche”, quince or sweet potato paste, or ricotta cheese.
A good and real "asado" never finishes if there is not a good dessert to honor the “asador” and to congratulate him for his work.
DESSERTS
After having such a generous food like an "asado" we prefer mostly something light like a fruit salad (we call it "macedonia"), that we love to combine with ice-cream.
Brought by our lovely Italian forefathers, the Argentinean ice-cream has an exquisite flavour. A very unique Argentinean ice-cream flavour is the "dulce de leche" that for the most sweet-toothed ones can have little pieces of chocolate.
The DULCE DE LECHE
It is a sweetened creamy milk caramel with a cinnamon colour. It is made with milk, sugar and vanilla extract.
We use the "dulce de leche" for everything: to spread the bread toasts in the morning, for desserts, cakes, biscuits, pies, cookies, puddings, candies and ice-creams.
And if you ask an Argentinean which is the best way to taste it, they will tell you: taking a big spoon, the ones for having soup, and plunge it into the “dulce de leche” jar.
The "dulce de leche" is popular all around Latin America. It has different names according to the country. It is called "arequipe" in Colombia and Venezuela, "cajeta" in Mexico, "cajeta de leche" in Nicaragua, "fanguito" in Cuba, "manjar or manjar blanco" in Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Panama.
* Other traditional Argentinean desserts are:
FLAN - Caramel custard or Crème caramel
Traditionally it is cooked here au-bain-marie, with sugar caramel, and served with “dulce de leche” and fresh cream on the side. If you want cream and “dulce de leche”, that is a “flan mixto” (mixed). We prepared it pouring some caramel into the baking tin before adding the mixture. Once it is baked we turn over the tin and the caramel is melted on top.
We can make it also with the industrial instant flan that takes a process similar to the one of the jelly.
It is made by stale bread, butter, eggs, sugar, spices and dried fruits or chocolate pieces. The bread is put to soak for one night. After that, it is squeezed till it get dry and later it is mixed with the other ingredients. The dough is put in a baking tin or pan and it is baked in the oven.
You can serve it with a sweet sauce or caramel. We eat it when it is cold and of course with "dulce de leche" or cream, or both.
PANQUEQUES
Our pancakes are like the crepes and they can be made of a sweet or salty dough. You roll it up like a cannelloni.
The most popular sweet "panqueques" are the ones with "dulce de leche" or the flambéed rum apple one.
It is a typical dessert after any meal or to have it in the afternoon.
They are served with icing sugar on it and they can come with ice-cream. The classical "dulce de leche" filling can be mixed with whipped cream. So there you have the "panqueque mixto” (mixed).
POSTRE VIGILANTE O QUESO Y DULCE - Vigilante dessert or sweet and cheese
The “dulce de batata” (sweet potato paste) is like a sweet jelly made of sweet potatoes or yams, thick and with a strong texture. Frequently, it is sold in round-shape cans. Some of its varieties can have chocolate in it.
It is one of the ingredients of this dessert that consist of one hard cheese slice and one of “dulce de batata”. If we prepare it with a farmer's cheese (queso fresco), we call the dessert "Fresco and Batata".
We can prepare this dessert also with the "dulce de membrillo" (quince paste). It is a typical sweet from Spain, made of quince fruit. It is used also for cookies, cakes, pies or "facturas".
ZAPALLOS EN ALMIBAR - Candied pumpkin in syrup
It is a very traditional dessert of our country.
Its preparation is very peculiar because we use limestone: the same one that is used for construction. The limestone is used for giving the pumpkin a crisp cover outside and soft consistency inside.
The type of pumpkin that we use it is called kabutia or tipo Angola. It is very sweet, with an orange colour pulp and a dark green colour skin.
You can make this dessert at home or buy it canned or tinned in jars.
It is a sponge cake with meringue, "dulce de leche", whipped cream, shredded coconut, vanilla powder, "marron glace" (chestnut glazed), nuts, praline, and icing sugar for the coating. During its making it is not used any preservative, so it has a peculiar flavour typical of home-made production.
In the beginning, the dessert was known as "Imperial" and its history dates back to the café or tearoom called Paris at the City of Balcarce, Buenos Aires province. The owner of this café created this dessert in 1950. Later, the recipe was sold to a company in Mar del Plata City (a beach resort in the Buenos Aires province) that baptised the dessert as "Balcarce", in honour to the City where it had been created.
Milhojas it’s the spanish word for “thousand leaves or sheets”. It’s similar to the Mille-feuille for the French, or the Napoleon pastry in US.
This typical dessert of Argentina it is a circular cake of puff pastry, where the coatings of puff pastry are separated by “dulce de leche”. The last coating it’s covered with sugar or chocolate.
* Visit also the section called “Argentinean Bakery & Patisserie” to discover other traditional flavours of the country.
Yummy! All those foods and desserts! I want to have them all when I go to my Buenos Aires apartment next week!!!
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