My mom tells me I didn’t like meat when I was a baby.

My little chubby fingers pushed past the pot roast to get to the potatoes.

To this day, I’ll almost always pick a black bean burger (or turkey burger) over a regular, beef burger. In fact, we eat vegetarian most nights.

Well, here we are in Argentina. Land of Beef.

Think Americans like their moo? Check this out… the average Argentinian consumes 2-4 servings of beef per meal, making their per capita beef consumption double America’s. (Source)

brb…

…

Sorry, I had to go get some of my husband’s blood pressure medicine.
My heart hurts.

Let’s move on.

Despite their obsession with red meat, Argentinians eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains. In fact they grow a healthy supply of wheat, corn, potatoes, and grapes. These staples make their way into many popular dishes and Argentina is known for great wine. (For those that do not consume alcohol, you might enjoy the popular tea, Mate, drunk throughout Argentina.)

While they may be using local crops in their cooking, many Argentinian meals look and taste like European meals. Pasta, pizza, pastries, and crepes are all popular. Spain, Italy, and France seem to have the biggest influence on the cuisine.

The eighth largest country in the world, Argentina has a rich food culture and many regional specialties. This makes trying to find the quintessential Argentinian menu tricky!

Right now, all I know is our meal is gonna include beef!

Hmm, sounds like baby Ava just might get her first taste of beef this week.
I kind of hope she takes after me, though, and heads for the potatoes instead.

Special thanks to Emmanuel, an old schoolmate from Argentina, for providing some valuable information for this week’s Global Table feast.