Buenos Aires Street Food… or Reasons Why I Cook Less Lately
I believe that if you want to know a city, you have to embrace the streets. In Buenos Aires, I walk between three and 12 miles each day, venturing to different corners of the city and using new routes all the time. And if Anthony Bourdain has taught me anything, it’s that street food is often some of the best a city has to offer. I’ve been taking advantage of BA’s cheap and delicious options, so I thought I’d share.
Argentina is well known for the parilla, the grill. There are many stands serving up asado, whether it’s grilled flank steak, blood sausage, burgers or chorizo. The photo above is choripan, a chorizo sausage on bread. Chorizo here is a pretty plain sausage, not the spicy stuff from Spain or Mexico. But it’s got smoke from the grill, classic chimichurri sauce and is enveloped in a perfect baguette. This 4-peso meal (just over $1 US) from Palermo is still one of the best I’ve had here.
Also at the portable parillas are hamburger patties that are otherwise unextraodinary until you realize how many topping options you have waiting for you. I dressed my burger with two varieties of chimichurri, mayo, a pepper and onion salsa of sorts, tomato, pickled cabbage, lettuce and fried shoestring potatoes. Six pesos in Puerto Madero.
When you’re less in the mood for grilled meat, pans rellenos are a great option. People walk around craft markets selling these stuffed breads out large baskets. If you’re lucky, yours will still be warm when you get it. Common fillings are ham and cheese or mozzarella, tomato and basil. I got this massive one filled with pumpkin, corn and cheese in San Telmo for 8 pesos yesterday, and I just finished the other half for lunch today.
There are many possibilities for dessert, too. The majority involve dulce de leche. These churros are filled with the heavenly stuff and are 1 peso each (about equal to a quarter) in Recoleta.
There’s much more, but consider this an introduction.
Read Part Two here.
Category: Generally Food Related | Tags: argentina, dulce de leche, sausage, street food 8 comments »
September 14th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I love the standard double paper towel packaging that all these foods come in
Looks like your stomach is having the time of its life! Mine is totally jealous.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
You know you’re not in the U.S. when there’s pretty much only one option for paper towels…
September 14th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I coudln’t agree more about street food. I love expreiencing what the local people eat. You’ve got some great looking meals there too!
I didn’t realise their version of chorizo was so mild! Are the churros freshly fried? 
Thanks for sharing-I love reading all about street food!
September 14th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Lorraine — No, those churros weren’t fried on the spot, but they were very tasty nonetheless!
September 17th, 2009 at 7:53 am
The stuffed bread looks incredible. Are those pumpkin seeds on the outside?
September 17th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Oh my gawsh. Get me to Buenos Aires NOW.
September 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Naomi — Yep, they put pumpkin seeds on the outside to distinguish it from all other breads. The guy I bought it from had a basket nearly three feet across filled with different versions.
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:42 am
[...] to be the best place to fill up for a buck or two. Although I’ve written some about this before, I have a few more street treats to [...]