Argentinean Cuisine and Recipes
Information about Argentinean Cooking and
Argentine Recipes
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Argentina
is is situated in South America and is the eighth largest country in the world, covering
an area of 2.8 million sq. km. with a 4,989 km coastline on the South Atlantic
ocean.
The
extreme geographical contrasts ranging from mountains to prairies, jungles to
deserts and everything in between makes it the perfect host for all types of
edible flora and fauna.
Add
to this the mix of peoples from both South American and various European stock
and you get a veritable culinary detonation unlike that of its
neighbouring countries.
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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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