Non-Steak Food in Buenos Aires

Let’s be honest. There are only so many steaks one can eat in a week. Even the porteños put away their sharp knives from time-to-time and dig into other local specialty foods. While these culinary delights might not be world famous, they strongly represent Buenos Aires and deserve their fair share of the spotlight. So, move over bife de lomo, here come the under-dogs!

Top 3 Non-Steak BA Delicacies

1. Life is like a box of empanadas. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Empanadas are essentially homemade Hot Pockets and have two basic parts: filling and dough. Empanada fillings are traditionally savory and come piping hot. When buying or ordering empanadas you will have a long list of fillings to choose from:

Ojo! Any of these warm, hand-held delights may come with the following: hard-boiled egg (huevo duro), green olives (aceitunas) or raisins (pasas de uva). These are traditional ingredients and they compliment the flavors nicely. Likewise, if you are a vegetarian, beware! Often the dough (masa) is made with lard (grasa). If this bothers you, be sure to inquire before placing your order.

Rule: Never ask for a specially made empanada unless you are offered the option. It’s like asking the McDonalds cashier to make sure they only put mayonnaise on the left half of the top bun.

Tip: When looking forward to a night in watching a movie or relaxing in the hotel, order a box of empanadas with a little of each (un poco de todo) and have fun guessing which is which.

2. Heavy on the cheese, light on the sauce.

Pizza is one of the most popular foods in Buenos Aires and often accompanies empanadas on the back of the delivery boys’ motorbike. Here in Buenos Aires, it’s rare to find a restaurant that sells only one or the other. Empanadas and pizza are partners in crime and have a lot in common. Buenos Aires pizzas have lots of cheese, very little tomato sauce and almost always come with whole green olives on top.

In general, toppings are the same as anywhere else, however there are two specialties that any Buenos Aires visitor must try.

Fugazetta: Mountains of onions atop of a thick pizza crust (bad date food)

Fainá: Flat crust-like dough made out of crushed garbanzo beans and oil (traditionally eaten together with a piece of pizza stacked on top)

3. Schnitzel from Milan?

Milanesas are a staple in the Argentine diet and are made by cutting thin slices of chicken or beef, pounding them flat, coating them with bread crumbs and then frying them in a pan of hot oil. Often accompanied by mashed potatoes or fries, these crispy cutlets can come as big as your head, meaning they are a full meal.

Those looking for a healthier or vegetarian option can enjoy soy milanesas (milanesa de soja). Argentina is one of the worlds biggest soy producers and so far the Argentines have only incorporated it into a very few foods. Luckily, the big wigs in Chinatown got word of this countrywide fact and have begun fun tofu campaigns to help educate the masses.

Milanesas can be found on the menu of most cafés and restaurants and are generally offered “a la Napolitana,” with ham, tomato and cheese melted on top or as the main event in a sandwich.

This is only a brief sampling of what Buenos Aires has to offer. What are YOUR favorite BA non-parilla foods?

Madi Lang
LPBA Staff