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Food · South America

What to eat in Argentina

Five dishes to try in Argentina, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.

Five dishes to try in Argentina

  1. Asado

    Main dish

    Beef cuts and sausages grilled slowly over wood or charcoal.

    How to have it: At a parrilla start with chorizo and morcilla, then order vacío or bife de chorizo.

    Read about Asado on Wikipedia

  2. Empanadas

    Street food

    Baked or fried pastry turnovers filled with beef, chicken, ham and cheese or corn.

    How to have it: Each province has its own style; Salta and Tucumán are famous, and they are ordered by the dozen.

    Read about Empanadas on Wikipedia

  3. Milanesa

    Main dish

    Thin breaded beef or chicken cutlet, fried.

    How to have it: Order it a la napolitana, topped with ham, cheese and tomato sauce, with fries.

    Read about Milanesa on Wikipedia

  4. Choripán

    Street food

    Grilled chorizo sausage in crusty bread with chimichurri.

    How to have it: Sold at football grounds and the grill stalls of the Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires.

    Read about Choripán on Wikipedia

  5. Mate

    DrinkVegetarian

    Bitter herbal infusion of yerba mate sipped through a metal straw.

    How to have it: Shared from one gourd in a circle; only say gracias when you want no more.

    Read about Mate on Wikipedia

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Questions

What food is Argentina famous for?

Asado (beef cuts and sausages grilled slowly over wood or charcoal) comes first on our list, followed by Empanadas, Milanesa, Choripán and Mate.

What is the national dish of Argentina?

Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Argentina is Asado: beef cuts and sausages grilled slowly over wood or charcoal. At a parrilla start with chorizo and morcilla, then order vacío or bife de chorizo.

Which dishes in Argentina are vegetarian?

One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Mate. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.

What street food should I try in Argentina?

Empanadas (baked or fried pastry turnovers filled with beef, chicken, ham and cheese or corn) and Choripán (grilled chorizo sausage in crusty bread with chimichurri).

What do people drink in Argentina?

Mate: bitter herbal infusion of yerba mate sipped through a metal straw.

How reliable is this list?

The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.

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Dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.