You’re never more than a few metres from an empanada wherever you travel in Argentina, and you’re all the better for it. Empanada literally means “wrapped in bread” but this description does not do justice to the wonder of this Argentine staple. These savoury pockets are served warm as a prelude to the asado, or on their own at parties.
When it comes to visiting Jujuy, think altitude rather than attitude. The provinces of Salta and Jujuy are usually lumped together to form northwest Argentina, but the two are as similar as chalk and cheese. While Salta is rich in colonial architecture and wine terroir, the common denominator between the two is stunning landscapes – Jujuy’s colourful, cardon cactus-lined canyon, the Quebrada de Humahuaca, is on the UNESCO world heritage list. Jujuy has the added bonus of a strong indigenous culture dotted with pagan rituals and is a world, if not a galaxy, away from Buenos Aires.
Tucked away in the corner of the country, where Argentina, Bolivia and Chile converge, is the magical Andean northwest. The climate is as harsh as the terrain: unrelenting heat and heavy rains in the summer, arid cold in the winter. April, May and September are the best months to visit.
Argentina’s borders stretch from Antarctic waters in the south to Iguazú waterfalls amid the subtropical jungles of the northeast. Needless to say, within its boundaries, nearly all known foodstuffs can be grown or pastured, making for a rich cuisine.