Argentinian Food Recipes

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Dulce de Leche

The Different Regions
It is common to divide Argentina into five major regions, this is also useful when discussing the cuisine. See the map above

Central Region And Las Pampas
Includes the big cities Cordoba and Buenes Aires, also is the main center for cattle production - a fact that makes it the home of the Argentinian barbecue, asado and the national addiction dulce de leche (made from cow's milk).

Overall , the European influence in this Argentinian food region is big. Dishes with Italian origin are milanesas (breaded meat), pizzas, pastas and breads to name a few - all of these have been adapted and have little to do with the original dishes. A large number of dishes can easily be traced back to Spain, they include: churros (fried pastry), guisos (different types of stews) and 'arroces' (paella like dishes). The popular empanadas also have Spanish origins. Germany's biggest contribution has been in the sweets and desserts section, known as facturas - chucrut (sauerkraut) is also popular. In the rural areas of this regions a lot of the Argentine cuisine that was dominant before the great influx of Italians in the late 19th century is present - it is many times maize based.

The jamones serranos are produzed in this region, it is ham prepared in similar fashion as they do in Spain and Parma in Italy. Because of the large quantity of cows dairy production is big here, Argentinian cheese varieties of mozzarella and provolone are popular all over the country. The region has a limited wine production.

Northeast
This region distuinguishes itself by including something that is rare in Argentinian food recipes: Fish. An abundance of lakes and rivers give ready access to various types of fish that is cooked in various manners. Rice, tapioca and manioc are staple foods here, the latter many times replacing wheat flour in the common Argentinian food recipes.

Yerba maté, the plant leaf, that is the ingredient in the national addiction Yerba Maté Tea, is almost exclusively grown and produced here and shipped all over the country and other countries as well - Corrientes and Misiones are the main provinces for production.

Other notable products of this region, that also make them ingredients in local recipes are: bananas, oranges, avocados, pineapples and palm heart (from the palm tree)

Northwest
Of all Argention food recipes, the ones from this region have kept quite most of its pre-colombian heritage. Tomatoes, corn, beans, pumpkins and potatoes are grown here on quite big scale - all of them are native to the Americas. The whole region is very agricultural and produces a wide range of grains, vegatables and fruits, all varying with particular part of the region. The result has been a very varied cuisine with many different ingredients.

Typical dishes are tucumán pastries, a corn stew known as locro and tamales (steamed stuffed corn husks). The region produces sweets that are popular all over Argentina, examples are dulce de batata and dulce de membrillo.

The Cuyo
This is the great wine producing region, including grapes like Malbec, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The temperate climate admits large scale production of fruits like apples, pears and grapes.

Patagonia
This region distinguish itself mainly from the fact that a lot of the food has influences from Central and Northwestern Europe. Perhaps it is mots visible when it comes to sweets and desserts; chocolate, scones, and bilberry jam may serve as examples. An abundance of seafood have had a strong influence on the cuisine along the coastline. Sheep- and goat meat are common on the plates. Locally produced beer resemble the beer you find on Ireland.

Typical Foods
For an outsider it is barbecued beef that comes to mind when imagineing Argentinian food. To a point is is true, the Argentinians eat a lot of meat. Meat and chicken is dominant but there is a lot more to it than that, food habits vary a lot with region and which history they have. I will give you some examples of typical Argentinian food:

Jamones serranos The dried ham has traditions from Spain and Italy.
Locro A stew prepared with corn grains.
Yerba maté A tea made from leaves, sometimes sweatened with fruit juices or induced with alcohol.
Tucumán pastries Simply a pastry with a filling, 9 times out of ten 'dulche de leche'
Asado The famous beef barbecue.
Dulce de leche A very sweet paste made from milk.
Empanadas Pastry with filling. Of Spanish origin.
Chimichurri Is a parsley/garlic sauce enjoyed with meat. The recipes can vary a lot, some times with chilis as well.
Fainá Is a bread made with chickpea flour, has its origin in Italy.

This list can continue of course, I just wanted to gve you a few examples. If you feel something should be added, changed or deleted just let me know!

Dulce de Leche (Sweet of Milk)
By: Manuela

Ingredients:
- 3000 of whole milk
- 800 g sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla powder or essence
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (the more you put the darker it gets)

Preparation:
In a large cooking pot: boil the milk. Then add the sugar, vanilla (just a spoon), and the baking soda, let it boil at very high temperature and constantly stir with a wooden spoon.

When the colour gets darker and the mix thickens, take a little out with a spoon to test if its ready. Do do this just put a spoon of the dulce in a plate and check that is not running.

When ready take off the heat and put the pot inside a container with cold water. Keep stirring for a few minutes and then just put the paste in clean glass jars. Wait until cool and then put lids on the jars! You can keep them stored for months!

Enjoy!

Manuelas Comment:
When I was a little girl I used to spend my summers at my grand parents' farm. Life there was completely different than in the city. If you were lucky you would wake up early enough to go with grandma to milk the cow. Since we were gathering many litres of milk per day the kitchen was always full off home made goodies like Flan, Arroz con leche and of course Dulce de Leche. The home made Dulce de leche has a complete different taste, especially made from very fat milk like the one she used to make. You can use it for breakfast with toast, in pastries, crepes, cakes (specially combined with coconut is my personal favourite), with fruits like strawberries or bananas, chocolate bonbons, arroz con leche, flan, ice-cream... bottom line: it is great with pretty much any other dessert!

My comment: Thank´s Manuela! That was a real dive into rural life in Argentina. The Dulce de leche is a bit of a national addiction in Argentina (and as well in Brazil where I live). The prospect of having this made from fresh fat cow´s milk makes me crave it now! The origin of this recipe is hard to establish, most argue for Latin America, while others propose that there are similar varieties in Europe and its origins are there.