Taste of Argentina: 5 Must Try Foods in Buenos Aires

Food in Buenos Aires reflects the city’s strong immigrant heritage. Their meal times mirror those in Spain where breakfast is a quick bite like a medialuna (croissant) followed by a late morning snack, a heavy lunch around 2-3pm, a “merienda” – or snack – around 5-6pm, and a late dinner around 10pm that’s much lighter than lunch. Food is often enjoyed in the company of others and meals are still seen as social times. Family Sunday lunch is still held in high importance.

Buenos Aires has long been a city of meat eaters, with the parrilla (steakhouse) given central attention, but in recent years there’s been a shifting focus to more veggie-centric meals. There are vegan and vegetarian options popping up more and more, so whatever your dietary requirements, you’ll find food here that you enjoy.

Don’t miss these top foods to try while you’re there:

1. ASADO. When you think of Buenos Aires, the first food to come to mind is probably the local beef. A nod to gaucho culture, asado is a traditional barbecue cooked either on an open fire or a grill (parrilla). It could be steak or ribs, for example, and traditionally also usually includes choripán or other meats after a serving of offal (intestines – considered a delicacy here). It’s usually served with chimichurri sauce on the side.

2. EMPANADAS. Eat one for a snack or a few for a meal, these baked or fried pockets are super popular here. Empanadas are stuffed with a variety of fillings like mince or chopped beef; cheese and onion; tomato, basil and mozzarella; sweet corn; or spinach and béchamel as a few examples. Folding them is an art form. They’re popular at parties and picnics and as street food. You’ll spot them everywhere.

3. MILANESA A LA NAPOLITANA. There are different versions of milanesa (breaded veal escalopes), but milanesa a la napolitana is one of the most popular in Buenos Aires. In this version, the milanesa are topped with ham, then a layer of tomato sauce, and then cheese which is melted under a grill.

4. PIZZA. This is not ordinary pizza as we know it, but pizza Buenos Aires style. One version is fugazza con queso which has a thick pizza base (no sauce) topped with tons of onions, mozzarella and dried oregano. Its cousin, the fugazzeta, is a stuffed version with ham and cheese baked between two layers of dough and then again covered with lots of onions and more cheese. A third pizza-related dish to try here is pizza din fainá. This is a cheese pizza that’s served with strips of fainá (crunchy thin chickpea flatbread). The two are eaten together with the fainá offering a crispy texture with each bite.

5. ALFAJORES CON DULCE DE LECHE. These are like crumbly and soft cookie sandwiches with the famous sweet dulce de leche which is caramelized milk spread inside as a filling. In fact, try dulce de leche on anything from ice cream to pancakes and you’re in for a treat!

There are many other delicious, interesting and unusual foods to try when you study abroad in Buenos Aires: Learn about the culture around yerba mate and sip this popular herby tea-like drink with locals or friends; tuck into an Argentine version of the hotdog – a choripán sandwich; gather your cheese-loving friends and enjoy a round of gooey grilled Provoleta drizzled with olive oil before an asado; enjoy a humita – spiced goats cheese and corn wrapped up in a corn husk and boiled; sample some of the many different pasta dishes and gelatos that are popular here thanks to the city’s Italian heritage; and Dulce de Membrillo with cheese makes a tasty dessert.

Have pics of something you’ve eaten abroad that you can’t easily find at home? Tag us on Instagram at @ASAStudyAbroad or #AwayWithASA. We’d love to see!