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Argentina
Argentinean Cuisine and RecipesArgentinean Recipes and cooking
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Ancient Times and Influences on Argentine Cooking
Argentina's political history is somewhat complicated. It is relatively young, only coming into being as an independent country in the early 19th Century. However as with most countries, its history has had a direct effect on its culinary culture.
Before
the arrival of the Europeans, there were two main indigenous groups: the Diaguita in the
northwest and the Guarani further south. When the Spanish arrived in 1502 they
noted that the southern inhabitants
were primarily nomadic hunter gatherers, whilst the northwestern Incas were
agricultural and cultivated maize. Cattle
was introduced to the pampas in the 1550’s
which would have a profound affect on the cuisine of Argentina. By
the late 18th century Argentina was part of a new Viceroyalty, an area
which included Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The local Indians had introduced
the use of foods such as mangoes, squash, sweet potatoes and
coconuts, however the
declining and scattered Indian population made it difficult to employ them as
labour. One effect of this led to the creation of huge cattle ranches,
known as haciendas and the beginnings of the gaucho (cowboy) who were the decedents
of early Spanish (Andalusian) settlers who had mixed with local
Indian women. The second effect was huge immigration. Enter The Europeans en masse. Italians, French, Germans, British, Eastern Europeans... you name it, they came to take advantage of a country which held the promise of a better life and riches and with them they brought their culinary habits and tastes. They introduced foods such as Italian Pasta, French style bread instead of tortillas and seasonings such as parsley, fresh oregano, paprika, thyme and bay leaves.
Current Day Cuisine in Argentina
If you're a vegetarian, then I'm afraid most Argentine cuisine is not for you. Beef reigns supreme in Argentina, with some people eating it more than once a day EVERY day. A favourite way of consuming beef is the asado or barbecue.
The strong European influence is still evident as the cooking terms criollo (creole) and Porteño imply.
Chicken, Lamb, pork and offal are also popular and the use of fresh locally grown produce is still preferred. Argentine cooking is, on the whole, less fiery than that of its South American neighbours, with sweet peppers, tomatoes, herbs and onions being widely used as flavourings rather than chilies. There are some regional differences. For example, the cuisine in the north has a middle eastern spiciness to it whilst in the south especially along the costal regions, seafood and fish are often cooked European style with garlic, olive oil, herbs and white wine as the main flavourings.
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