Argentine Meals

Check out Laura Flippin's Latest Blog Post:

Aside from the timing of meals, the Argentine meals themselves have some big differences too.  Meals tend to be a lot longer.  Sometimes a meal can be the event of the night: they call it a “parilla.” And not only does this one meal last the length of the evening, the meal can actually consist of simply meat. The Argentines will eat every part of the cow- including morcilla, a blood sausage stuffed with blood and any other guts of an animal you would never want to think about consuming- but when crushed in one, if you can eliminate the thought of it, doesn’t taste so terrible. There may be the occasional onion, red pepper, and of course, unlimited bread with the excessive amount of meat that is served at these parillas.  The only seasoning you will find with any of the food is salt.  Argentines could not be more bland with their seasonings and if you put pepper on anything they’ll complain that it’s too spicy.  A parilla refers to how the meal is cooked.  The reason it takes so long is because it’s extremely slow-cooked.  The meat is not heated from an actual fire but rather heated up coals.

Additionally if you dine out for dinner, it can sometimes be understood that the table is yours for the night.  Dinner is a leisurely meal, intended to be enjoyed with lots of good food, good company, and of course good wine.  A server will never come up and ask if you want the check.  That is seen to be act of “pushiness.”  They may also take a long time to take your order too, depending on the restaurant, but everything they do is meant to make you feel welcome and anything but rushed.

Some may see the Argentine lifestyle as slightly crazy, but it’s not so bad if you experience it yourself.

from Laura Flippin's Dining Experiences http://ift.tt/1sTtkUo