10/3/2020 Cultural Geography of Latin America
Cultural Geography of Latin America
When we visit a new country or region, one of the main aspects of culture we can experience is food and drink. A country’s food is often linked to its geography, and you can learn about a country by paying attention to what they grow, produce, and eat. If you were to visit Argentina, South America’s second largest country, what would be on the menu?
Fried empanadas from Argentina
Argentina’s National Foods
Bordered by the Andes Mountains to the west, much of Argentina’s land consists of rich lowland regions that are capable of producing a wide range of food and that sustain much livestock. In particular, Argentina is known for its cattle industry.
As a result of an influx of explorers over the last few hundred years, Argentine food has been strongly influenced by Italian, Spanish, and other European flavors and traditions. Those influences, combined with a robust cattle-rearing
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Beef is the national dish of Argentina, sustained by the huge cattle ranches that are found throughout the country, in particular in Las Pampas region, a huge grassland prairie with a climate well suited for grazing cattle.
Argentines have developed a number of ways to prepare beef. A favorite main course is parrillada, a mixed grill of steak and other cuts of beef. Asado is beef barbequed over an open fire. Grilled steak is called churrasco. Empanadas are small turnover-like pastries filled with cheeses or meats. Beef dipped in eggs, crumbs, and then fried is called milanesa. Beef is often seasoned lightly, perhaps using only salt to enhance the natural flavor. Though beef is the most common meat eaten in Argentina, you can also find other meats, such as lamb, cooked over an outdoor fire.
Alongside beef, some of Argentina’s other most popular foods include Italian dishes such as pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna. How about Dessert?
Argentines also have a rich culture of dessert and sweet items. A favorite dessert item is dulce de leche, a thick caramel paste made from boiled condensed milk. Dulce de leche is eaten with many snacks and meals, including between two shortbread cookies called alfajores. As well, the Italian influence means an abundance of gelato shops are found all across Argentina. Even breakfast has a touch of sweetness in the form of medialunas, small croissants coated in a sweet glaze. A National Tea
Everywhere you go in Argentina, you can observe people sitting or standing together, passing around a hot mug of tea with a long metal straw. They are drinking Yerba mate, a drink made of steeped leaves. It is traditionally served in a gourd and drunk through a filtered straw, called a bombilla. However, many modern Argentines carry a metal mug, but still use the bombilla. In Argentina, Yerba mate is considered a social drink, and is often shared among friends. Being offered a sip of someone’s yerba mate means they are welcoming you to join them.
Yerba mate was widely used by the indigenous people of Argentina. It is made from the young leaves of the Brazilian holly plant, found in the Misiones region of Argentina. It was later adopted by Spanish and Italian settlers who found conventional tea and coffee expensive and difficult to source.
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