It usually includes a café (coffee) and a medialuna (croissant) or tostado de jamón y queso (toasted ham and cheese sandwich). When I didn’t want to go to a café, I would make my own merienda and grab an empanada or helado (ice cream) on my way home from class. I really like how dinner is later in Argentina because I feel like I am more productive during the day... the day feels longer!
Another big tradition in Argentina is the asado. Asado is about more than just the food; it is about building your community and spending time with family and friends. At an asado, meat is grilled on the parilla. A parilla can be made out of almost anything, as long as you have a metal grate, wood or charcoal, and meat to cook on it. In a traditional asado, there are several courses of meat and sides that are consumed throughout the day. It starts with las achuras, which are some parts of the cow you may never have eaten before, like the small intestine, kidneys and pancreas. I was very intimidated the first time I tried these, and I have to say they are still not my favorite parts. Then comes the second phase, with the warm, gooey grilled provolone cheese and sausages (chorizo and morcilla). Finally, comes the meat. Typically, there are different cuts of beef, but in different parts of the country, the meal can include pork, goat and lamb. Typical side dishes include a simple salad of lettuce, tomato and onion; Russian salad, which is potato salad made with canned peas and carrots; chimichurri, an herb sauce; and bread to soak everything up.
