Argentine-Italian Cuisine: A Teaser
Or, more accurately, Italo-porteño cuisine, the Italian cuisine of Buenos Aires.
Just consider the following:
- Argentine cuisine is “Italian” cuisine if you leave aside empanadas (pasties) and parilla (grilled meats) and some regional cuisines.
- Pasta and pizza are the everyday dishes for everybody
- The cheeses of Argentina are overwhelmingly of Italian ancestry
- The charcuterie of Argentina is overwhelmingly of Italian ancestry
- The better breads, pastries, cakes and confections are overwhelmingly of Italian ancestry
- By the 1920s, the Sunday meal for the people of Buenos Aires had ceased to be the puchero (beef vegetable stew) of the Spanish and become a pasta meal. This was apparently true among families and in parts of the country without direct Italian influence. The asado (grilled meats) apparently did not appear until the 1950s.
None of this could be claimed for Italian food in the United States, however popular it now is.
All this raises lots of questions. What is Argentine-Italian food? How does it compare to Italian-Italian food, to New York Italian food (and to San Francisco, Toronto and Sao Paolo Italian food)? Where did it come from? Why the differences?
This series is based on two months in Buenos Aires, one in 2003, one in 2008. I’ve also relied on Samuel L. Baily, Immigrants in the Lands of Promise: Italians in Buenos Aires and New York City, 1870-1914 (Cornell, 1999) and Los sabores de la patria: las intrigas de la historia argentina contadas desde la mesa y la cocina (Norma, 1998).
Two months scarcely qualifies anyone to be an expert on the cuisine of anywhere. I’m jumping in because there is so little on the culinary history of Argentina. But if you know more or can correct me, please jump in.
Ciao Rachel.
I’m a bit confused, are you saying grilled meats are or aren’t Italian? To me, they are certainly Italian, and most certainly Umbrian. The smell of grilled meats fills the air all summer long. I’m convinced it’s a throwback to their pagan roots involving fire, meat and men.
The problem or stumbling block to comparing Argentinian food with Italian is that Italian food is so regional that it is almost impossible to declare something “Italian”, it might be identified as Umbrian, or Tuscan, or Piemontese. Is Argentinian cuisine similarly regional?
I think the Argentinians would be horrified at the idea that their grilled meats are Italian in origin, even if Italians now grill meats. The grilling of meat goes way back into the colonial period in Argentina and associated with gauchos, the pampas, and later the superb beef industry there. The backyard grilling in suburban homes is apparently a phenomenon that began in the 50s.
Incidentally I would not be surprised if that weren’t true of Italy as well except that I would hazard the guess that it was not as early as the 50s in Italy.
So I’m saying that while Italians may grill meats, it’s unlikely that this is the origin of the parillada of Argentina.
And yes one of the problems is the regionalism of Italian cuisine. This has been blended into one “italian-argentine” cuisine and the question is can we almost a hundred years after its establishment sort out what came from where.
Umbria lacks the aristocratic influences that other Italian regions enjoy. Although Perugia had some ‘nobility’, it was still considered a backwater city in comparison to Florence or even Siena.
Umbrian cuisine is simple, straightforward and peasant inspired; perhaps that is why there is such an abundance of grilled pork and lamb dishes. Scotto ditto (literally burned finger) is a grilled lamb dish that shows up on all Umbrian menus from ristorante to humble trattoria.
I doubt if Argentina was influenced by Umbria, but more a practical way to cook meat outdoors. One of those universally great ideas that sprang directly from necessity.
Do you have any idea of the region(s) where the bulk of Italians that emigrated to Argentina? That would be a huge clue in determining influences on Argentinian cuisine.
In the US, after WWII there was a preponderance of Abruzzo and Calabrian immigrants which led to the whole tomato based perception of “Italian” cuisine.
Judith, I’ll be getting to all your interesting points in the next few days.