Buenos Aires - eating out

Before the Spanish invasion in the XVI century, this marvellous country was inhabited by a small number of nomadic Indians, who have left no trace of civilizations. Argentinians are almost all of European origin, their ancestors being mostly Spanish or Italian settlers and immigrants.

In spite of this, their cuisine has little in common with those of their countries of origin, since they have adapted very quickly to the types of food which are more easily available in the region: meat first of all, and also pumpkin, beans and maize. Meat is particularly good in Argentina, given that the big plains and the relatively warm climate make it ideal for cattle.

The national Argentinian dish is called asado. It is derived from the gauchos’ method for cooking meat, which has remained the same for centuries (strict vegetarians and radical animal lovers are strongly advised to skip to the next paragraph). First the animal (veal, pork and, most of all, beef) is cut in half, then it is put on a huge spit which is stuck in the ground with inclined by 20 degrees, so that the fat does not drip on the fire, but stays on the meat during cooking. The fire is made with quebracho wood, which develops a lot of heat but little flame. Usually, beef is cooked with its skin on, and in this case it is called asado con cuero.

Asado is a dish that requires a lot of care and time. Usually, for it to be ready for noon, cooking must start as early as dawn, and different cuts of the meat have to be cooked separately, so they’re all ready at the same time.

Although there are cooks who specialize in asado, traditionally it’s the head of the house who is in charge of preparing it. With a big fork, he checks if the meat is cooked, turns the cuts of meats and moves them closer or further from the fire. While the meat is cooking, guests are served red wine and empanadas, which are pastries filled with meat, onions, raisins, olives, hot pepper and other spices.

The traditional Argentinian drink is mate. It is a herbal tea with a pleasantly bitter flavour and is a strong stimulant, since it’s very rich in caffeine. There’s a special ritual when preparing it: one puts some yerba mate in a small, pear-shaped pumpkin that has been emptied, dried and painted on the outside, then one pours boiling water in it. After a few minutes, it is drunk with the bombilla, which is a metal straw which has a filter at the bottom. When the water is finished, more water is poured in the vessel, without changing the yerba mate, which lasts several infusions. There’s only one vessel for the whole group of people drinking mate, which is passed around after drinking.