Buenos Aires is the capital of the meat lovers’ paradise that is Argentina, so it is only right that the food scene in and around the city is dominated by carnivorous delicacies. It is unsurprising that we both left Argentina a belt size (or two!) larger. Here are our best tips for eating in and around Buenos Aires.

• CHIMICHURRI.

Chimichurri is the sauce that you will always be given to put on your meat. It is made out of finely chopped parsley and oregano, crushed garlic, red chilli flakes, olive oil and red or white wine vinegar.

WHERE? – EVERYWHERE!

• CHORIPAN.

Choripan is a chorizo sausage sandwich that is a very common BBQ street food in Buenos Aires. It is also found on menus in restaurants, but we think that it is best grabbed in the street in a chunky bread roll and smothered with chimichurri sauce!

WHERE? – SAN TELMO STREET MARKET, Sundays – there are a couple of car parks that are used as makeshift BBQ areas.

• STEAK.

Steak in Argentina is completely different to the steak that you are served in Europe. The steaks are very tall and very very tender, if a little under seasoned. We like the cut called bife de chorizo which is sirloin steak with a tasty bit of fat – nothing to do with chorizo sausages by the way.

WHERE? – LA BRIGADA in San Telmo is a more upmarket choice; the waiters cut your steak with a spoon. We also tried DESNIVEL In San Telmo, which is a busy local’s joint.

• EMPANADAS.

Anyone who has travelled in South America will know that empanadas are the default snack of the continent, but that they vary quite dramatically in style and quality. Argentina has very good empanadas with excellent choices of fillings as varied as Roquefort or cherries!

 WHERE? – We are letting you in on a big secret here, LA MORADA is an authentic antique bar covered in sports memorabilia. It serves aperitif type drinks and freshly made empanadas. Only open during weekday lunchtimes, it is always packed with office workers.

• ICE CREAM.

Argentina is full of Italian immigrants, and they brought the best with them – glorious and good quality ice cream!

WHERE? – HELADERIA OLIMPICA on Avenida 2 De Mayo is run by the descendents of Italians, at least one of whom still speaks the language. Try their dulce de leche ice cream, voted the best in the country!

•  ASADO.

Asado can mean a BBQ or meat done on a BBQ, most commonly beef short ribs.

WHERE? – The best we had was at an estancia near Buenos Aires called ESTANCIA EL OMBU where the racks of ribs were cooked over a traditional outside fire pit.

• MEDIALUNAS.

Medialunas are little sweet croissants that are eaten either for breakfast or an afternoon/evening snack, as the main meal for the day is lunch.

WHERE? – EVERYWHERE! Try to pick an evocative historic cafe like TORTONI on Avenida 2 de Mayo.

• DULCE DE LECHE
  

Who needs jam when you can have a spreadable milky caramel sauce instead? Used at any time of the day, spread on the breakfast toast, eaten by the spoonful from oversized jars and a key ingredient in pretty much every dessert you can think of, this naughty but delicious sweet is a national obsession. We regret not buying a jar or two to take on our trips!

WHERE? EVERYWHERE: Forget about dessert without dulce de leche in Argentina.

• ALFAJORES

Alfajores are common in the whole of South America, but Argentina takes them to the next evolutionary level. Layers of biscuits and (guess what?) dulce the leche covered in rich dark chocolate or sweet white icing. They truly are a delicious thing, just make sure you don’t eat anything else in the day each time you indulge into one of these caloric bombs.

WHERE? – Again EVERYWHERE, where there is dulce de leche there are Alfajores, the two are clearly inseparable. Good brands are Recoleta and Havanna but don’t miss out on the patisserie ones!

• ARTISANAL PRODUCE AT MATADEROS MARKET

Mataderos market is more of a locals market historically marking the point where the countryside met the city. It contains fresh produce from the interior such as honey, cheese and salami. There is also the usual array of silver, leather and other gaucho goods like knives. Live entertainment in the form of horse shows and traditional singing and dancing brings the area alive. There are street BBQs and also a range of meat restaurants ranging from plastic chairs on the street to more formal dining.

WHERE? – MATADEROS market is in the Mataderos district (old slaughterhouse area) of Buenos Aires. It is only on Sundays and make sure to check that it is happening before you set off. It’s a bit fiddly to get there, we took the Subte line E to the nearest station – Plaza de Virreyes (Single fare is only ARS10 for two, that’s about £0.70p!) and then a taxi the rest of the way (ARS80, about £5.50). We ate in a large traditional restaurant called OVIEDO which has been declared as an official symbol of cultural interest by the government.

• YERBA MATE

In Argentina it is incredibly common to see people wandering around with a thermos tucked under one arm and a strange cup with a silver straw firmly cemented in the other. These are the items necessary for drinking the national drink of yerba mate, which is a beverage made from the leaves of the yerba mate tree. It has a caffeine content, but it is not very high and the bitter taste takes some getting used to. We could not resist and got ourselves a mate (the cup) and a bombilla (the straw)…and we haven’t touched them since leaving Argentina!

WHERE? – EVERYWHERE. Most cafes will serve ‘mate cocido’ in a tea bag, but if you want to get pro about it, the equipment and the yerba itself can be easy bought in the shops or at markets.

Happy eating Spice of Lifers!