Eating in Buenos Aires...on a Student's Budget

Nearly 4,000 U.S. students studied abroad in Argentina in 2006/07, up 26% from the previous year. The vast majority studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina's enormous and fascinating capital city. But B.A.'s skyrocketing popularity should really come as no surprise: Argentina's massive capital city boasts some of the finest food in the world and is home to a culinary tradition unparalleled throughout the rest of Central and South America.

Since winning its independence from Spain in 1816, Buenos Aires has seen so many waves of immigration arrive at its port that it has truly become a metropolitan melting pot of culture, origin and ethnicity. And as a result, the city's cuisine has been transformed and influenced over and over again. Today, traditional porteño (a term meaning "of the port," referring to all things Buenos Aires) cuisine is a fusion of European (most notably Italian, Spanish, French, German) and indigenous flavors. This amalgamation of diverse flavors has become a draw for gastrophiles the world over. Typically, when the terms "almagamation of diverse flavors" and "gastrophile" appear in the same sentence, one of two things is true: Either (A) the haute-cuisine in question is overpriced and pretentious or (B) the critic in question is overambitious and pretentious. In this case neither is true. Buenos Aires' cuisine is not only splendid, but it is for the most part, quite affordable. Due to a favorable exchange rate (3.78 Argentine pesos to the U.S. dollar) and B.A.'s favorable location in the fertile Pampas region, raw ingredients are locally produced and very inexpensive. This means that students on a tight budget can enjoy spectacular food.

Some of the main staples of the Argentine student diet include pizza, empanadas, and grilled meats.

Pizza in B.A. is unique in that it resembles an open-faced calzone more than it does traditional Italian pizza. Popular varieties include fugazzetta (mozzarella cheese with topped with grilled onions) and napoletana (a thick-crusted take on an old school Italian style, topped with tomato, mozzarrella and oregano). This pizza is, in fact, so thick and rich that one slice, or maybe two, will satisfy even the most voracious eater. Most pizzerias display their freshest pizzas behind glass, so if your Spanish is only so-so, pointing to your choice will suffice. To get your fill, try pizzerias Guerrín (1368 Av. Corrientes, +54 11 4371 8141) and the mysteriously-named Kentucky (Av. Santa Fe 4602, +54 11 4773-7869).

Empanadas are a quintessential South American snack consisting of a doughy pastry filled with any combination of meat, poultry, cheese and vegetables. In Buenos Aires, empanadas can be found on nearly any street corner and sell for less than $1 apiece. While empanadas are plentiful and cheap, they come in every imaginable taste, size, and quality. For some of the absolute best empanadas in town, visit Cumaná (Rodríguez Peña 1149, +54 11 4813 9207) or Mi Taragüi (Julián Alvarez 2399, +54 11 4825 2006). Pizzeria Kentucky also serves excellent empanadas.

It would be blasphemous to write about B.A.'s food culture without mentioning the mouthwatering steaks, sausages, ribs and other meat products available. Argentina consumes more beef per capita than any other nation, and you can't really blame them, as they produce the world's best cattle. Argentines are adept at finding any excuse to gather at an asado (essentially a barbecue) and grill some of the best meat you've ever tasted. Make friends with a porteño and you'll receive the inevitable invitation to eat your heart out at a traditional asado. But if you prefer to go at it alone, there are plenty of options throughout the city. Follow your nose to one of B.A.'s thousand parrillas (restaurant-grills) and choose between grilled steak, sausage, pork chops, and poultry. With a phrasebook and an open mind, you can eat virtually any part of the cow or pig that your heart--or stomach--desires. Parillas are often cheap, quick, and informal. For the perfect steak, try the eponymous Lomo Da Dá at Da Dá (San Martín 941, +54 11 4314 4787). For an upscale parilla with waterfront view, head to Happening in Puerto Madero (Alicia Moreau de Justo 310, +54 4319 8712).

Other staples of the porteño diet include mate, a bitter tea-like infusion made from the yerba mate plant and drunk from a gourd, and dulce de leche, a milky caramel sauce that tops most local pastries and desserts. Be sure to try an alfajor, a pastry made of dulce de leche sandwiched between two shortbread cookies.

For the study abroad student, Buenos Aires offers more just than tango, soccer and sun. The city also offers unbelievably delicious, inexpensive and sophisticated cuisine. You may return home a few pounds heavier, but at least your wallet won't be too thin.