Argentina Food and Drink Guide: What to Eat and Drink

The food culture of Argentina

Argentine cooking is built on beef, Italian and Spanish heritage, and a deep love of sharing food slowly. Meals run late: dinner rarely starts before 9pm, and on weekends a long asado can stretch into the night.

Signature dishes to try

• Asado - the national ritual of grilling beef over wood or charcoal. Order *bife de chorizo*, *vacio* (flank) or *asado de tira* (short ribs).
• Empanadas - baked or fried pastries filled with beef, ham and cheese, or *humita* (creamed corn). Salta and Tucuman versions are famous.
• Milanesa - breaded veal or chicken cutlet, often topped with ham, tomato and cheese as *milanesa napolitana*.
• Provoleta - a thick grilled provolone disc with oregano, served at the start of an asado.
• Locro - a hearty corn, squash and meat stew eaten on national holidays like 25 May.

Street food and snacks

• Choripan - grilled chorizo in crusty bread with chimichurri, the classic street and stadium snack.
• Chimichurri - the tangy parsley, garlic and oregano sauce found on every table.
• Facturas - sweet pastries like *medialunas* (small croissants) eaten with coffee.
• Alfajores - two biscuits joined with dulce de leche; the brand Havanna is everywhere.

Drinks

• Mate - the bitter herbal infusion sipped from a gourd through a metal *bombilla*, shared among friends.
• Malbec - Argentina's flagship red wine, best from Mendoza. A glass in a *bodegon* is cheap and excellent.
• Fernet con coca - bitter Fernet Branca mixed with cola, the unofficial national cocktail.

Dining tips and etiquette

• Restaurants add a small *cubierto* (cover charge) for bread and table service.
• Tipping around 10 percent in cash is normal and appreciated.
• If offered mate, drink it fully and pass it back; do not stir the bombilla.
• Ask for the steak *a punto* (medium) or *jugoso* (rare) to avoid overcooked beef.

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