Worldly Wednesday - Argentina

Argentina is a our country of focus for this edition of Worldly Wednesday.  Argentina, a Spanish colony from the sixteenth century until independence in 1816, is three times the size of Texas and occupies most of the southern tip of South America.  Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous.

Argentine cuisine is distinctive in South America because of its strong resemblance to Spanish, Italian, French and other European cuisines while the cuisine of the Argentine Northwest has more elements of Andean cuisine.

Another determining factor in Argentine cuisine is that the country is one of the world's major food producers. It is a major producer of meat (especially beef), wheat, corn, milk, beans, and since the 1970s, soybeans. Given the country's vast production of beef, red meat is an especially common part of the Argentine diet. Historically, Argentine annual consumption of beef averaged 220 lbs per capita, approaching 396 lbs per capita during the 19th century; consumption averaged 149 lbs in 2007. Similarly, the enormous quantities of domestically harvested wheat have made white bread (made with wheat flour) the most commonly found on the table, the wheat-based Italian dishes popular, and Argentine pizza use more dough than Italian pizza.

Besides some regional disparities, there exist at least two other comparisons which are important in understanding Argentine cuisine: the first distinguishes a cuisine that is essentially urban and cosmopolitan (highly influenced by the "globalization" of food and eating patterns) from a more traditional, idiosyncratic rural cuisine. The second comparison is made on the basis of socioeconomic differences.

Typical Foods

Argentines are famous for their high protein diet, particularly beef. Grilled meat from the asado (barbecue) is a staple, with steak and beef ribs especially common. Chorizo (pork sausage), morcilla (blood sausage), chinchulines (chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbread), and other parts of the animal are enjoyed. In Patagonia, lamb and chivito (goat) are eaten more than beef. Whole lambs and goats can be seen on the asado. Chimichurri, a sauce of herbs, garlic and vinegar, is often used as an accompaniment (most Argentines have a relatively delicate palate and do not include chili in their version of chimichurri).

Breaded and fried meat (schnitzel)— milanesas — are used as snacks, in sandwiches or eaten warm with mashed potatoes. Empanadas — small pastries of meat, cheese, sweet corn and a hundred other varieties — are a common sight for parties, starters and picnics across Argentina. Another variation is the "empanada gallega" (Spanish empanada, known as simply "empanada" in Spain. "Galician/gallego" is a common adjective to refer to Spain.), which has a round shape and is more like a big, round meat pie made mostly of tuna and mackerel ("caballa" in Spanish). Vegetables and salads are important too for Argentines, even beyond the fried or mashed potato. Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, eggplants, squashes and zucchini are common side dishes.

Just as much as beef, Italian staples, such as pizza and al dente pasta, are eaten. Fideos, Tallarines, ñoquis, ravioles and canelones can be bought freshly made in many establishments in the larger cities. Italian-style ice cream is served in large parlours and even drive-through businesses. In Chubut, the Welsh community is known for their teahouses, with scones and Torta Galesa, rather like Torta negra.

Sandwiches de miga are delicate sandwiches made with crustless buttered white bread, very thinly sliced cured meat and cheese and lettuce. They are often purchased from entrepreneurial home cooks and consumed for a light evening meal.

Argentine food also reflects its European roots and sometimes tend to vary in certain regions then in others.

A sweet paste, dulce de leche is another national obsession, used to fill cakes and pancakes, spread over toasted bread for breakfast or as an ice cream flavour. Alfajores are shortbread cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche or a fruit paste. The "policeman's" or "truck driver's" sweet is cheese with quince paste or dulce de membrillo. Dulce de batata is made of sweet potato/yam: this with cheese is the Martín Fierro's sweet. Apples, pears, peaches, kiwifruits, avocados and plums are major exports.

A traditional drink of Argentina is an infusion called mate (in Spanish, mate, with the accent on the first syllable). The dried leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant are placed in a small cup, also called mate, usually made from a gourd, but also bone or horn. The drink is sipped through a metal or cane straw called a bombilla. Mate can be sweetened with sugar, or flavored with aromatic herbs or dried orange peel, to hide its bitter flavour. Hot water is poured into the gourd at near-boiling point so as to not burn the herb and spoil the flavour. At family or small social gatherings, one mate may be shared by the group, with the host preparing the mate to the preference of each guest. When one guest is finished, the mate is returned to the host, who will then prepare a mate for another guest. This is considered an important social ritual. Mate cocido is the same leaf, which rather than brewed, is boiled and served, as coffee or tea, with milk or sugar to taste.

Other typical drinks include wine (occasionally mixed with carbonated water known as soda); tea and coffee are equally important. Quilmes is the national brand of pale lager, named after the town of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, where it was first produced. 

Now, our Argentinean recipe for Worldly Wednesday is Crillo de Pollo which is a thick chicken, corn and potato chowder that will woarm you up on those cold nights.  Enjoy.

Crillo de Pollo

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot, mixed with
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Toss chicken cubes with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Spread half of the diced onion onto the bottom of a deep baking dish. Sprinkle the chicken over the top, and cover with remaining onions.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the chicken has turned golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Pour the chicken and onions along with the potatoes into a large soup pot; pour in the chicken broth.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add carrots and corn, then cover and continue simmering for 20 minutes more.
7. Stir together the cream and egg yolk until well blended. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup of hot broth until incorporated; set aside.
8. Ladle out half of the potatoes, mash, then stir back, into the soup.
9. Dissolve the arrowroot in the water, and stir into soup to thicken.
10. Finally, stir the hot egg mixture into the soup, and gently simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken.
11. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and cilantro.