If you haven't tried these foods, you haven't been to Buenos Aires.

Mariana Radisic Koliren • August 31, 2021

Empanadas

Oh, pocket sized bliss, I love you. Empanadas are made of a corn shell  with whatever filling you can imagine, that can be baked or deep fried in oil or lard. The traditional ones are meat (duh), humita (corn), chicken, ham and cheese and onions and cheese... but that's just the baseline.

Every province has its own traditional recipes for empanadas, and luckily you can find almost all of them here! For some Riojan style empanadas you can head to El Gauchito in San Telmo, or to Mercat Villa Crespo for some authentic empanadas from Tafi, Tucuman. If you feel a little experimental, you can try the blood sausage or vegan empanadas at El Banco Rojo. If you're that sort of person who's definitely not a vegan, head to El Baqueano for some exotic meat empanadas: they usually have llama empanadas if you can stomach them... you monster!

Fugazzeta Rellena

It's no secret that people from Buenos Aires deface everything that italians hold sacred, starting by pizza! Pizza in Buenos Aires is almost a religion, and its highest deity is the fugazzetta rellena, what we can only describe as a pizza-pie topped with onions. The most legendary fugazetta rellena in the city can be found at La Mezzeta, but don't miss out on trying El Cuartito's, Banchero's or Guerrin's options... for science, right?

Asado (wait, there's also vegan asado!)

Argentines are kinda obsessed with meat. One of the most traditional meals to have is the asado, an assortment of meat cuts, innards, sweetbreads, sausages and blood sausages, splattered with the occational potato or pepper... 'cause balanced diets, I guess? In any case, we put chimichurri sauce on top of the meat, which technically makes it almost into a salad.

The asado is a meal full of rituals: if you're ever invited to one say yes as it's a great experience full of nuances.

If the idea of such a meat centric meal reppeals you, head on to try the first vegan asado place in the city, called La Reverde.

Facturas

What's the bastard child of a croissant and a cannoli? Well, a factura, of course! Facturas are the uber-sweet, diet wrecking pastries Argentines love from Patagonia to Iguazu. They are sold by the dozen, and each design has it's own name. Because many bakeries were owned by anarchist groups in the late 1800s, many facturas have fun and ironic names such as the monks balls (bolas de fraile), cannons (cañoncitos), cops (vigilanetes) or the nun's sigh (suspiro de monja).

These pastries come in many shapes and forms, topped or filled with delicious dulce de leche, quince jam, or crema pastelera.

If you're an expat in the city, bringing a dozen facturas to the office or to a merienda is a sure way to collect points and make new friends!

Milanesa

We are really sorry, Italians from Milano: we honestly don't care that the Milanesa is completeley unrelated to you, nor do we care about the sass involved in creating something called a napolitan milanesa. That's just the way we are!

The milanesa -a breaded and baked or deep fried meat- actually stems from Germany and the Yiddish world, where it's called a schnitzel. Here, milanesas are one of the favorite meals of the porteñes and they can be found in many different ways. The classic one is of veal, using mostly peceto, bola de lomo or nalga, which is soaked in beaten eggs with whatever spices you can think of (but parsley and garlic are almost mandatory). You can also find chicken milanesas, known as supremas, and other meats like pork or fish. For all the vegans out there, you can find soy, aubergine or pea milanesas.

Milanesas can be eaten alone, on a sandwich or with different toppings. The napolitan milanesa is topped with fresh mozarella, tomato sauce and herbs... and that's just the baseline. You'll find milanesas topped with everything, and usually served with potato puree or french fries. One of our favorite takes? The one in the picutre, called milanesa a caballo (mounted milanesa), which has fried eggs on top.

Bad for cholesterol, maybe, but nothing fills our souls more than this!

Is Once a CURSED neighborhood?

By Mariana Radisic Koliren • April 3, 2023
The neighborhood of Once in Buenos Aires is known for many things: its vibrant street life, bustling markets, and diverse mix of cultures. This is, after all, a neighborhood where you will find Chinese, Bolivian, Peruvian, Senegalese and Jewish communities. But there is another side to this lively community, one that is shrouded in darkness and shrouded in mystery. For those who dare to delve into the history of Once, they will find a tale of tragedy and terror that has left a lasting mark on the community.

The Jewish Gauchos - trading kneidelach for asado!

By Mariana Radisic Koliren • January 4, 2023
The Jewish gauchos were a group of Jewish immigrants who took their love for kosher deli sandwiches and matzo ball soup to the wild frontier of the Pampas region in Argentina . These immigrants, mostly from Eastern Europe, were drawn to the Pampas by the promise of land and opportunity (and maybe just a little bit by the thought of being the only Jewish cowboys in town). Many of them had fled persecution and poverty in their home countries and saw Argentina as a place where they could build a better life for themselves and their families. But life as a Jewish gaucho wasn't all latkes and lox: actually, no lox at all in the beef-producing heart of the Americas. These immigrants had to contend with the challenges of settling in a remote and harsh region, including drought, disease, and isolation. Many of them lived in poverty and worked as farmers and ranch hands, enduring physically demanding and often low-paying labor. However, the Jewish gauchos persevered and made a lasting impact on the Pampas region, establishing farms, ranches, and small businesses, and contributing to the growth of the region's agriculture and industry. They also played a vital role in the creation of a Jewish community in Argentina, building synagogues, schools, and cultural centers.

The Argentinian Style - 5 Gestures you have to know before coming!

By Jana Dostert • December 29, 2022
It’s been a few days since I arrived in Buenos Aires for my internship at Lunfarda and I’m only starting to learn about all the cultural differences- it’s the first time I live in a country that is that distinct from mine and, for me, the ways of the Argentines, and their coded body language are still kind of strange. I’m on my way to the bus stop, not paying attention to where I positioned myself. Quickly, a slightly upset-looking person gives me the four-finger-to-one-thumb-pointing-upside-down-sign or as well known as “What do you think you are doing??” This is when I learned that it does not matter that Argentines are disorderly about everything else: the bus line -and its order- is sacred. Quick side Note: You have to wave the bus down at a 45-degree angle arm to the body to stop it! Just telling you because on my first day of university here, I missed about five buses in a row running between the different bus stops until I got to understand that.

La Scaloneta brings glory to Argentina, closure to Messi and a new dawn for an inclusive football

By Mariana Radisic Koliren • December 19, 2022
After 36 years, Argentina wins the World Cup again. Here's what it means to the women of Argentina.

This 2022, we walked the talk. Here's how we transformed words into action and positive impact.

By Mariana Radisic • December 10, 2022
This is what we did for sustainability , historic preservation and equality in the last year.

Don’t take it as an insult, it’s just Argentina

By Jana Dostert • October 5, 2022
Language is a way to show norms, and communicate values. It’s a way of expression, status, and policy that reveals the culture that’s lived in one’s homeland. On the Argentinian menu, language comes with a side of insults, jokes, Lunfardo , and Argentinian history. Don’t assume the speaker’s intention too quickly, and even less if you are from a country with a let’s call it: more subtle -or literal- usage of wording. ⚠WARNING⚠ Some ways of expression might sound harsh but they are often not meant that way. On the contrary, it shows how history is carried along and still lived and spoken day-to-day, mouth-to-mouth among 45 million Argentinians, who are the makers of today’s Lunfardo, the local slang. Which is -indeed, a marvelously unique, and eccentric version of its own. If it’s about the very complex humor that doesn’t only often entail one of the many slang or so-called Lunfardo words but also infinite history-rich anecdotes- including years and years of politics flowing into the subtle humor of an Argentine. Be it a pastry that’s named “Friar balls’ or “Nuns sigh” or a “Vigilant” - coined by the worker's movement, that they are eating in all tranca (chill) while sipping through a Mate’s bombilla , professors quoting the Simpsons in their PowerPoints or a bunch of extremely funny memes digesting the daily life, joking about the president, football, or the seeming immortality of Mirta Legrand, the oldest host of the Argentine TV, who, believe it or not, is still at it at age 95 with the energy of a teen.
a group of afro argentine kids sit by a church with a guide explaining about Black History

Black History Tour for Kids: finally, it's time to give back

By Lunfarda Travel • May 29, 2022
Black kids with tight curls and broad smiles flocked to the gates of the National Historic Museum on a cool, sunny fall afternoon in San Telmo, Buenos Aires. Just their presence there, running freely and playing tag in the patio of the museum seemed like a small act of justice: these kids were laughing and playing on top of an old slave trade market, by a house that had been built by enslaved Black people. Now, 169 years after the abolition of slavery in Argentina, our young audience gathered to experience something momentuous: a Black History Tour to learn the value and the contributions of the Afro-Argentines.

Argentine Money, Explained

By Mariana Radisic • December 6, 2021
Argentine currency is messy . Its value changes daily, there’s an official rate, a parallel “blue” rate, different looking notes, reduced daily ATM withdrawal fees, and navigating it can be frustrating. Do not worry though, we’ve got you covered! Here’s how to get the best value for your money when you travel to Buenos Aires and across Argentina.

Our Black Heroine's Homecoming

By Mariana Radisic • December 2, 2021
It was 5.30pm, the print shop was about to close, and our files were in the wrong format . While Analía -known as Afro Ana , a 30 year old digital artist- cursed, I sprinted towards my apartment to get a laptop to hopefully fix the issue. In less than 24hs, on November 20th, the day of Black Awareness on Argentine Black History Month, those files would be turned into the first ever mural about Revolutionary Black Heroine María Remedios del Valle, an obscured character with a Netflix-binging story.

Why is Argentina so OBSESSED with fútbol?

By Agustín Canzani, Fernando Olomudzki • November 19, 2021
Every Argentinian can include a football-related memory as one of their earliest memories. It is either the first World Cup match you got to watch, a historical goal by your favourite team, or just playing a good old picadito on the streets of your neighborhood. Don't get us wrong, though, not everyone is maniacally obsessed with the sport. It just happens that most of us are. The truth is that barely anybody can remain indifferent about football in Argentina, as it has played a central role in the development of the folk of our country. Whether we like it or not, fútbol as a practice is deeply interwoven with our history and its events; people have extended the jargon used in the pitch, recalling it heavily for everyday things regardless of age or gender * . Others denounce the show-biz around it, pointing out its use as a distraction from every other thing, from organised gang violence to the atrocity of state sponsored terrorism decades ago.
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