Like many grand metropolises, Buenos Aires offers the chance to try dishes from many corners of the world, prepared by chefs from all over the world. Many neighbourhoods have immigrant communities from different countries who have brought their wonderful cuisine with them. In fact, many of the city’s most famous restaurants (some of them recognised in Latin America’s “50 Best”) specialise in dishes that
originated elsewhere.
The Barrio Chino (Chinatown) located near the Barrancas de Belgrano offers all kinds of Chinese products and dishes, whether stir-fried, steamed or roast, often served with rice and bursting with ingredients like soy, ginger, oyster sauce and Sichuan pepper. Japanese food has also become popular, with ingredients such as seaweed entering the local palate. A fantastic result has been the fusion with Peruvian cuisine, which has become a culinary trend in Latin America over the past decade.
Argentina’s sizeable Jewish community has also made its contribution to the nation’s cuisine, with the Ashkenazi and Sephardí ethnic groups bringing dishes from Central Europe and the Middle East respectively. Meanwhile, the neighbourhoods of Palermo and Villa Crespo were chosen by the city’s Arab community, which brought preparations with bulgur wheat, aniseed, lamb, sesame, tomato, garlic, peppers and an infinite range of spices.
Also hailing from Europe, Spanish cuisine has an influence over the local menu that dates back to colonial times and has accompanied Argentina from its very beginnings as a nation. The traditional Spanish stews and soups are based on onion, garlic, saffron, paprika, sausage and blood pudding. At the same time, a French influence explains the presence of so much omelette, crepes, pancakes and croissants, known here as medialunas, while Italy of course was the source of the city’s beloved pasta and pizza, which has long been adopted as an authentic local dish.
This is far from everything. There are also restaurants specialising in Mexican, Armenian, Turkish, Polish, Thai and many more international cuisines allowing visitors to undertake a gastronomic journey without leaving Buenos Aires.