the Food Palate

Tango in her Eyes

The most authentic Tango hails from Argentina or even Uruguay. I always thought the Tango was one of the most beautiful type of dances I had ever seen. In addition, I fell in love with the melodies it had to offer.

One of the most memorable scenes that first introduced me to it was from the movie Scent of a Woman:

I dined at Cafe Tortoni, Argentina’s oldest cafe, on the recommendation of my friend Annie, and then bought tickets to watch the Tango at their local theatre with my family the day after.

hola Buenos Aires, Argentina!

My journey to Latin America began last December and lasted nearly 16 days! I had always dreamed of touring Latin America because I envisioned that it was a land of amiability and warm welcomeness to foreigners.

We departed San Francisco and started our adventure in Buenos Aires, the second largest metro area in South America. The first couple of days were filled with curiosity as we immersed ourself deep into Argentinian culture by eating their food, drinking their wine, walking their streets and exploring even their most hidden of gems.

Typical meals consisted of plenty potatoes in various ways - mashed, fried, chopped, sauteed, baked. My two favorite types were always fried in circle slices topped with garlic & herbs or simply mashed. I also LOVED Argentinian meats.

Pork and chicken were my favorites, surprisingly. Beef was great, but I honestly think you can find spectacular beef in the States already, if you know where to go!

Del Fin Del Mundo was one of my all-time favorite Malbecs. For $20USD a bottle at a restaurant or $13USD in retail stores, this is a steal!

On a Sunday we spent the afternoon strolling the San Telmo neighborhood where they hold a weekly Sunday street market with vendors showcasing art, jewelry, clothes, and hand-made crafts. My favorite part was simply walking along the cobble-stoned streets and listening to the Tango melodies that leaked outside of various boutiques.

I think it’s also quite evident from my Parisian adventure that one of my favorite past-times is visiting supermarkets abroad! It’s one of the simplest ways to explore food in other countries in their most organic ways, in my opinion! I love it.

The most memorable thing in an Argentinian supermarket is their affordable Malbec wine selection. You can find amazing steals in the $5-$15USD range!

One of the most colorful little neighborhoods or “barrio” of Argentina is La Boca. You may or may not have seen this on several postcards or photographs around the world.

My sister and I enjoyed posing with the various fun colored walls and corners this neighborhood had to offer.

This artist amused me as he literally painted with his mouth by placing a paintbrush between his lips. Talk about embracing the name of the barrio, “La Boca” which translates to “the mouth”.