Did you know that Argentina has the second highest population of Italians outside of Italy? Nearly half (47%) of the population has Italian blood, with over 20 million Italians in Argentina. As a result, the cuisine is heavily influenced by Italy. In fact, one of the first dishes my Argentine host mom cooked for me was pizza! In Argentina, people often create fusion dishes between Argentine and Italian cuisines, like empanadas caprese (caprese empanadas), which are filled with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Empanadas are baked or fried turnovers consisting of pastry bread and filling. The name comes from the Spanish word empanar which means to bread or to cover in pastry. Empanadas are common in many países hispanohablantes (Spanish-speaking countries) and the fillings vary depending on the region. Common fillings include meat, cheese, and vegetables, but there are other popular variations that include ingredients like raisins.
Additionaly, there are many staple dishes characteristic of Argentine cuisine. One of the most famous is milanesa: a breaded cutlet of nearly any kind of meat, including milanesa de llama (milanesa made with meat from llamas!).
