Although every Argentine wolfed down 59.4 kilos of beef in 2014 according to the CICCRA meat chamber (that’s 163 grams a day), beef consumption is actually in decline in Argentina. Surprised? Me too, given the number of parrillas lining the streets of, well, anywhere, and asado invitations I get each week.
Way back when, in 1998 to be more precise, I came to Argentina to volunteer for Aldeas Infantiles SOS for a year. And while I haven’t run a marathon for charity or anything like it since, the intervening years have seen me do my tiny bit for another local project called Todos Juntos. It was this Anglo-Argentine foundation that British soul singer Joss Stone teamed up with in March to hand out 100 rucksacks filled with school kit to kids…
Argentina may not be as well known for its quality goods as it is for its steak, with “Industria Argentina” calling to mind infuriating impermeable coated napkins or the plastic paradise of Colombraro. But “Industria Argentina” could be interpreted as something else entirely – a support for the artisan and an appreciation and celebration of craft that continues to exist, not just in more rural areas of the country, where artisan goods are commonplace, but also in the capital…
Given its big, bouncy personality, Malbec naturally throws a party for itself every year – and why shouldn’t it? Every 17th of April we celebrate Argentina’s most popular adopted grape with Malbec World Day. But what if you’re pregnant, or under doctor’s orders to give booze the red light? Here are some alternative ways to celebrate Malbec without the alcohol.
Some of the best things in BA can be found behind closed doors, be it dining, cocktails, art and even shopping. Over the last few years a large chunk of BA’s shopping scene has gone underground due to soaring rents for retail spaces. The trend for emerging designers and brands is to sell their collections by appointment only from the privacy of their apartment or a private studio space or workshop…
While chefs receive plenty of glory and press for their creative flair in the kitchen, and sommeliers are lauded for their pairing skills, let’s not forget one other important member of restaurant staff: the waiter. The face of any eatery from the most humble café to the most accoladed of Michelin-starred restaurants, your local watering-hole likely employs a waiter who has chosen service as his profession for life…
Four years ago, I was bronzing myself on the sandy beach in the morning, attending embassy-organised cocktail luncheons in the afternoon while slyly earwigging film critics to help me decide what movie to watch later that evening. Ah, the glamorous world of cinema. Welcome to Pantalla Pinamar. While those essentials plus the obligatory red carpet still form the core of this Argentine-European film festival, now in its eleventh year, there have been a few changes during the intervening years…
Oh for the love of sweet, creamy ice cream, Buenos Aires might be the most helado-rific city in the whole wide world. Welcome to year round summertime-wintertime-warm weather-cold weather bliss. Walk down just about any block in this crazy capital and you’ll be sure to find a flavor-packed multicolored display of glorious ice cream, served by the cone, cup, or kilo.