Let's explore the history of Argentine cuisine
Throughout the 19th century, Argentina was shaping its economic profile in accordance with global trade demands. After gaining independence from the Spanish monarchy in 1816, Argentina began to receive strong political and economic trade influence from the British Empire. This led to Argentina being defined as a major producer of meats and cereals, with little industrial development and an economy based on primary production. Naturally, Argentine cuisine was centered around these products: meats, wheat, and corn. Thus, if we talk about truly autonomous food, the list would be quite short — asado, locro, and some bread-based dishes like empanadas, which mixed elements of each.
This primary economy supported the economic growth of the landowning classes and cattle owners, but was far from harmonious development, leading to the emergence of large pockets of poverty. Among these social groups, Argentine cuisine was limited to what the wealthy of the time contemptuously called “rotting stuff”, which was nothing more than a pot, meat with bones boiled alongside vegetables and corn. Today, we all know that the pot is part of the menu in the best Argentine restaurants.
By the end of the 19th century, Argentina had an extensive territory and a very sparse population concentrated mainly in its major cities, leading to successive laws that encouraged immigration. This would be decisive in the birth of the Argentine cuisine we know today. Millions of immigrants from across Europe and the Middle East transformed Argentina's culinary profile.
This radical change involved simply making better use of existing ingredients and products. Each national heritage imparted a new touch to the Argentine culinary tradition.
From Italy with love
Italian cuisine would be pivotal in the new definitions of Argentine cooking. The most significant contribution was pasta-making. This allowed for a new way to utilize the readily available flour. Tagliatelle, gnocchi, were common in the tenements of Buenos Aires, where, despite poverty, Italian culinary inventiveness helped alleviate needs. The abundant availability of flour, combined with Italian influence, gave rise to a new style of pizza. Unlike the traditional pizza in the Italian Peninsula, here it was made with a thick crust, with the simple goal of filling the diners' stomachs.
Italian cuisine adopted the best of Argentine products and contributed to the emergence of a new culinary style that had to thrive amid hardships and scarcity.
Spanish cuisine, a constant presence
The colonization of America by the Spaniards meant that Spanish cuisine had a longstanding influence, first in the Río de la Plata area and later in the emerging Argentina. In fact, most of the population was composed of Spaniards and their descendants—criollos—children of Spaniards born in these lands. The immigration from the late 19th century from the Iberian Peninsula also contributed, bringing new groups from all over, particularly from the less affluent classes, who used their ingenuity to survive. Stews and the aforementioned pot are exquisite heritages from old Spain. Desserts like pionono and alfajores also reflect the influence of Spanish cuisine.
World cuisines gathered in Argentina
Although the major influences originated from Italian cuisine and Argentine cuisine, immigration brought people from all over the world to this country. For example, in the Argentine litoral—comprising provinces along the eastern part of the country—hundreds of Central European families settled. Germans, Poles, and Austrians populated that region, and even today, you can taste the delicacies from those areas. A good goulash, sauerkraut, and many other dishes.
The European culinary tradition has been instrumental in shaping what we now know as Argentine cuisine, a gastronomic identity that has gained international fame, thanks to the quality of its ingredients and the creativity we are capable of expressing in these latitudes.
