Food is a very serious deal in Argentina, and specially in the provinces of the Northwest. A mixture of colours and flavors from both pre hispanic cultures and Iberian cuisine that will make eating a key experience during your trip.
We invite you to try some of these delicious options!
Empanadas
A lot has been said and written about which Argentinian province has the best empanadas. From the broad (sometimes TOO broad) variety of flavours in Buenos Aires, the ones they cook in Santiago del Estero, up to the ones from Tucuman (us conservatives say NO to raisins in the empanadas) and even the fried empanadas from Jujuy. However, it is widely agreed that the best Argentinian empanadas can be found in Salta.
Every empanada lover and taster has a favorite place for eating this delicious baked dough stuffed with beaf, chicken or cheese (the three flavors recognized by the empanadas fundamentalists).
You will find empanadas everywhere in Salta since every restaurant includes them in the menu as starters or as their specialty, some places deliver them anywhere and even people sell them in the streets as a way of living.
Humitas
This delicious corn based dish is cooked all over the region and is served wrapped in its own husks. It consists of a tasty mix of mashed corn, spices and a melted piece of either cow or goat cheese in the center. You will find that humitas are usually offered in sweet or salty versions and some people even add sugar on them.
Tamales
This spherical version of the humita is also served in a corn husk and is very common throughout South America. Unlike the humita, this is not a veggie friendly dish. The stuffing consists on corn flour (instead of fresh and mashed corn), meat, vegetables and spices.
Locro
You will hear a lot about this kind of stew around the patriotic dates (May 25th or July 9th) and you should not leave Salta without having a big bowl on a cold day.
This casserole mainly consists of pumpkin, beans, corn or potatoes and has a pre hispanic origins. Apart from the veggie base, different types of meat can be added; dry meat, beef, pork, sausage and a touch of spring onion. It is cooked over several hours before enjoying a plate full of calories to defeat the winter temperatures!
Dessert
After finishing your meal, it’s time to enjoy some of the sweet alternatives the Northern cuisine has to offer.
The ‘turrón salteño’ looks like a cake but it isn’t. This combination of several layers of dough, dulce de leche, nuts and a cream cover is a delicacy and a true craftwork. ‘Colaciones’ are little cookie-like pieces covered in dulce de leche and caramelized sugar, perfect for a quick snack in between meals or after dinner.
Another typical dessert is quesillo (a flat type of cheese made from either cow or goat) with sugar cane sweet or ‘cayote’ (a sort of pumpkin).
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