Exploring Argentinian Cuisine

Many Latin restaurants have received press over the years, so students enrolled in online culinary courses may want to learn a lot about Argentine cuisine. The food culture in Argentina revolves around full-flavored dishes and friendly local markets that only hold the freshest produce. Restaurants serve exquisitely prepared meats, cheeses, beers and wines all likely made nearby. Here is a closer look at some of the most delicious dining traditions in Latin culture.

Common Argentinian food and daily dining routine
For breakfast, many Argentinians prefer to eat lightly. They might drink some coffee or tea with a medalunas (a sweet croissant-like pastry) or toast. Some Argentinians prefer to eat cheese and thin slices of ham or sausage for breakfast. Lunch is often served at 12 pm and will go on to 3 pm. Dinner at restaurants typically begins relatively late, around 9 pm, with kitchens staying open until 1 am.

Grilling – Cooking meat, fish and seafood over fresh wood charcoal is a favorite past-time of Argentinians. Steak and and beef ribs are common barbecue dishes. They are simply seasoned but can include different herbs, garlic and vinegar. Argentines enjoy their beef, but they also prepare meals from lamb, goat and chicken. Parallada is a mixed grill dish that includes chicken, beef, blood sausage and other parts of the cow and chicken. Chefs can prepare seafood plates like stuffed whole calamari covered in salsa or quinoa timbale with shrimp and scallops in a white wine sauce.

Dessert – Some desserts eaten in Argentina have noticeable Spanish, Italian and French influences. Alfajores are a type of shortbread cookies that are made with two biscuits filled with caramel, jam or a type of nougat candy. Ambrosia is an egg-based paste with sugar and syrup. Dulce de leche is a country-wide favorite that is made by caramelizing sweetened milk. It is a very sweet paste that can be used to fill cakes or pancakes.