Lip-smacking Delicacies of Buenos Aires

Mouth-watering Delicacies of Argentina

Local cuisine in Buenos Aires is enjoying a revival thanks to the economic crisis that gripped the country in 2002. Post “La Crisis,” restaurants could hardly afford to import caviar and foie gras, and so they began to improvise. In fact, locals and medical tourism visitors alike agree there has never been a better period than now in the city’s culinary history. You can try authentic Argentinean cuisine at the many restaurants that dot Palermo Viejo and Recoleta. The moist and flaky flesh of “pacu,” a large piranha like fish, grilled to a crisp, seared baby squid with corn (known locally as “chipirones a la plancha”) and grilled rib-eye, called “bife de chorizo,” – these are just some of the delicacies that can be found on the city’s menus.

The beef in Buenos Aires is every bit as good as it’s reputed to be--succulent ranch-fed bovine meat, nothing like the industrial corn-fed beef you get back home. The best place for a medical tourism traveler to try the city’s famed steaks is at a “parillas” (steakhouse), many of which are scattered across the Palermo Viejo area. The Recoleta neighborhood is by far the most exclusive dining address in town. A number of cafes and restaurants line the sides of the Pilar Church here.

Enticing and Inexpensive Food

Dining in Buenos Aires is not just varied in range, it’s also incredibly affordable. A lavish spread that includes Argentinean red wine will set back a medical tourism traveler by only around US $10 (you can certainly pay more if you want to). Chinchulines de cordero (lamb chitterlings fried to a golden brown), bondiolita de cerdo (roasted pork shoulder enclosed in bacon), pato en confit (crisply grilled duck confit) lure people into restaurants at all hours. The saucy “provoleta,” a thick slice of cow’s milk cheese grilled and served hot, topped with olive oil and dry herbs is much like the Mac-and-cheese but with an all-cheese crust. There is also an impressive variety of sausages, cheeses, and cured meats on offer. The immeasurably yummy empanadas, the pudding-like “humita y cebolla y queso” which is made of sweet corn, onion, and cheese, and the rich stewed beef are all almost embarrassingly cheap.

Eat As You Do in London or Manhattan

A homesick medical tourism traveler can find his favorite foods in Buenos Aires, given the city’s cosmopolitan vibe. The up market Palermo Viejo has cafes that serve crusted salmon and croquettes with interesting fillings, besides other variations on French cuisine. Migrant Italians have made a mark on the culinary landscape of Buenos Aires — the Milanesa, a bread-based veal cutlet with grilled steak, olives, and quail’s egg boiled hard and sliced into half, is a Buenos Aires favorite. Sushi, fast food, junk food, and vegan cuisine are also present is abundance. After a few weeks in this South American mecca of culinary delight, you’ll see why plastic surgery and tango classes are all the rage. Staying fit and trim is a real challenge in Buenos Aires.