Argentina - Friendly, tasty and home-made food

It might be regarded as a myth, but the truth is that people visiting Argentina always refer to gastronomy as an experience actually deserving to be remembered. What could this fact be put down to? An interview with the TV host, chef and gastronomy specialist Narda Lepes might give us a clarifying picture of the prestige attributed to the art of Argentine cuisine.

Where does Argentine food stand in the ranking of world gastronomy?
We belong to a country that does not own a very emblematic type of food: we tend to prefer products such as beef. Argentina is known for its excellent food quality even though people are not well aware of what type of food is eaten in this country. Nevertheless, we are neither Mexico nor Peru where everybody can name 50 dishes and there exists a stronger native Indian culture. Argentina owns a reputation for good food because we were lucky to welcome immigrants with good taste and were strongly influenced by the Middle East, Jewish groups and nearby Mediterranean regions such as the influence deriving from Spanish and Italian immigrants. In our country people follow a quite balanced diet causing a person walking along the street to go into any “small shop” and eat something light that would not make Europeans feel bloated, as it may actually happen somewhere else in Latin America where you cannot eat a zucchini pie. In fact, that is not normal, it happens here and in three other places in South America.
As a matter of fact, you can actually find special dishes in gentrified restaurants or in places serving foreign food. Street food for tourists in Argentina is quite friendly. There are no places where you wil find a greasy or fried stew. This causes the way we eat here to become acknowledged abroad because the Argentine food is tasty, and not because of the dishes themselves.

Nevertheless, this young cook, who has recently got her first book published, asserts that Argentine chefs are gradually gaining acknowledgment abroad. Narda Lepes refers to Francis Mallman and Fernando Troca as examples of those cooks having managed to become part of the international scenario. However, she argues: “that not having a strong cuisine identity is something different”.

Does the Argentine cuisine therefore have to offer diversity in terms of food?
Yes, it does and I believe it also has to offer a blending of flavors and show that we know what people like. Therefore, once tourists have been able to come to Argentina, and realize that it is an affordable experience, they cannot believe how wonderful it is, and they have a good time. And they are going to find affordable things regarding flavors, and pleasant bars round the corner where they can drink a cup of coffee. We are not as Americanized as any other places. There is something more rustic in our country and there are still things regarded as a little bit more original.

What dishes would you recommend that a visitor should eat?
If they want to eat beef, I would advise them to taste a thin cut of asado de tira (beef with bones), entraña (skirt steak) and steak. They should also eat achuras (offal) with moderation, since they are not used to eating this type of beef fat. And there is no much more variety: there are empanadas (turnover pies), beef in general, locro (meat and vegetables stew) and, pastelitos (small pies).

What is your favourite dish?
I really like Carbonada Criolla (stew with meat, vegetables and fruit) since I enjoy eating stews with pastries. In addition, I like spicy empanadas (turnover pies) stuffed with potatoes.

A wide range of gastronomic dishes is offered in big cities, towns and small villages. Still, Argentine people still preserve the long-standing tradition of home cooking, though as time goes by it is becoming increasingly more difficult to do so. And it is this heritage that has definitely enriched and enlarged local recipes with dishes and food appearing on restaurants, bars and food houses´ menus.

Which would be the local Argentine dishes per se, though eaten on a daily basis?
We eat chard pie, croquetas (croquettes) milanesas (breaded meat filets), steak, roast chicken, and pan chicken. In fact, it all seems to be home-made.
And there are restaurants serving home-made food, which is similar to the food cooked by our mothers in other places. Actually, I think these are the dishes people prefer eating here. In contrast, there is a high-level international cuisine, which is typically found in expensive gentrified restaurants, and it is cooked identically everywhere. Nevertheless, home-made food, cooked by our mothers, is regarded as the type of food you can eat in any restaurant and it is really tasty. There are other places that also serve home-made food, but they are more difficult to find in Latin America.

Nevertheless, Narda Lepes highlights that these traditional types of recipes are gradually disappearing “because people cook less frequently”. Furthermore, people are beginning to cook out of pleasure. Therefore, people who cook at home start preparing complicated dishes without actually knowing how to cook something simple. Thus, there are people who know how to cook a lamb with cous cous, but they don´t know how to make a potato pie. In the past, things were just the opposite since people began cooking by first preparing basic dishes. Nowadays there is no such basic knowledge of cuisine because in the past mothers had to work and could not devote themselves to cooking. If you did not see anyone cook and thus set an example, you cannot know how to cook. These are things you learn because you´ve seen someone do them”.