Argentina has a few minor problems for the visitor.

There are the usual ones: deciding whether to visit Patagonia or not, understanding why dinner starts late, figuring out what exactly a boludo means and discovering that Argentines can turn almost any conversation into an argument about football.

And then there is the food.

Argentina is famous for beef, Malbec and probably the largest number of ways known to humanity to use dulce de leche. But Argentine food is much more than that: it is the result of Indigenous traditions, regional ingredients and, above all, the enormous influence of immigration, particularly from Italy and Spain.

So, if you are coming to Argentina, here are a few things you should try.

Asado

If there is one thing you should eat in Argentina, it is asado.

Calling it “barbecue” is technically correct, but it does not quite explain what an Argentine asado actually is. It is a meal, but also a social event, a ritual and occasionally a four-hour discussion about fire, meat and who is doing everything wrong.

The person in charge of the grill is the asador. Once the fire is lit, the asador acquires a certain authority. Nobody is supposed to interfere. Suggestions are tolerated only if they are immediately ignored.

The meat usually arrives in several forms: asado de tira (short ribs), vacío (flank), entraña (skirt steak), along with chorizo and morcilla.

And then you wait.

Argentines are perfectly capable of spending a considerable amount of time talking, drinking wine and insisting that the meat will be ready “in five minutes.”

It won’t.

But when it finally arrives, you understand why nobody was in a hurry.

An asado is rarely just about the food. It is about sitting around a table, talking, arguing, laughing and spending time together.

Empanadas

If Argentines can agree on one thing, it is that empanadas are delicious.

If they can agree on a second thing, it is that their province makes the best ones.

The basic idea is simple: dough folded around a filling, usually meat, and then baked or fried. The details, however, are where things get complicated.

Should there be potatoes? Olives? Raisins? Egg? How spicy should the filling be? And, most importantly, which province makes them best?

Do not ask this question unless you have plenty of time.

For the visitor, there is a much simpler solution: try them wherever you go.

Milanesa a la napolitana

The milanesa a la napolitana is another example of Argentina taking an idea from somewhere else and deciding that it could be improved.

A milanesa is a breaded slice of beef, similar to an Italian cotoletta or a schnitzel. But someone eventually looked at a perfectly good milanesa and apparently thought: “It needs more.”

So the milanesa was covered with tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese.

Despite its name, it is not a traditional dish from Naples. It is very much an Argentine creation. The story usually told is that it originated in Buenos Aires, at a restaurant called Nápoli, where a milanesa was covered with tomato sauce, ham and cheese to rescue it from being overcooked.

Whether every detail of that story is historically accurate is another matter. Argentines are generally more interested in eating the milanesa than investigating its birth certificate.

It is usually served with French fries, making it a particularly unapologetic combination of beef, ham, tomato sauce, melted cheese and potatoes.

Pizza Argentina and Fugazzeta

Argentina loves Italian food. Italian immigration had such a profound influence on the country that Argentines eventually decided that Italian food needed a few local modifications.

Pizza is a perfect example.

Argentine pizza is excellent, but it is not Italian pizza. It has its own personality: generally thicker, generously covered with cheese and unmistakably Argentine.

Argentina developed its own pizza tradition through generations of Italian immigrants and their descendants.

One of the most famous examples is fugazzeta, a uniquely Argentine creation made with a thick pizza base, plenty of cheese and a generous layer of onions on top created by…well..an Italian immigrant.

So if you come to Argentina expecting Italian pizza, do not worry if it looks different. It is supposed to. Argentina took an Italian tradition, made it its own and created something that is now unmistakably local.

Provoleta

There is a moment during an Argentine asado when you might think the main event is about to begin.

It isn’t.

First comes the provoleta.

Provoleta is a thick slice of provolone cheese seasoned with oregano and other spices, then placed directly on the grill until the outside is golden and slightly crisp while the inside becomes beautifully melted.

It is usually served as an appetizer, although calling it an “appetizer” may be misleading. It is essentially a large piece of melted cheese eaten with bread while everyone waits for the meat.

The combination of smoky grilled cheese, oregano and crusty bread is hard to resist.

The only real problem is that, after eating provoleta, you still have an entire asado waiting for you.

Dulce de leche

If Argentina had a national sweet ingredient, dulce de leche would have a very strong claim to the title.

It is made by slowly heating milk and sugar until it becomes thick, smooth and caramel-colored.

And Argentines have found an impressive number of things to put it on: toast, pancakes, cakes, pastries, cookies, ice cream and desserts.

Dulce de leche is so deeply embedded in Argentine food culture that a visitor may eventually stop asking what is inside a dessert and simply assume that the answer is “probably dulce de leche.”

You don't have to take our word for it. Chris Pratt tried Argentine dulce de leche for the first time and had a rather enthusiastic reaction.

You will find it everywhere. Consider yourself warned.

Alfajores

If you are looking for a souvenir to take home after the convention, forget the fridge magnet. Take alfajores.

The alfajor is one of Argentina’s great culinary icons: two soft biscuits joined by a generous filling, usually dulce de leche, and often covered in chocolate or icing.

Its story goes much further back than Argentina. Its origins can be traced to the Arab world and al-Andalus, the medieval Muslim-ruled part of the Iberian Peninsula. The sweet eventually entered Spanish cuisine and, centuries later, arrived in Argentina, where it became something distinctly our own.

Argentina did what Argentina tends to do: take an old idea, add plenty of dulce de leche and create a national obsession.

Today, different regions have their own varieties, fillings and coverings.

There are so many that choosing which ones to take home can become surprisingly difficult.

Argentine Artisan Ice Cream

Do not underestimate Argentine ice cream.

Visitors often expect excellent Italian-style gelato because of Argentina’s strong Italian heritage. And they are not wrong to expect something good. But Argentine helado artesanal has developed its own tradition, and the quality can be exceptional.

There are the classics, of course: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and lemon. But then there is dulce de leche — in several forms, depending on how seriously the ice cream shop takes the subject.

Argentine artisan ice cream has strong Italian roots, but it has become an important part of Argentina’s own food culture.

Mate

If you have never seen mate before, your first reaction may be: “What on earth is that?”

A small gourd filled with green leaves, a metal straw, hot water and a group of people passing the same thing around. It may look slightly mysterious at first.

But mate is much more than a drink.

The yerba mate plant is called Ilex paraguariensis and is native to the subtropical region of South America. Mate is deeply rooted in Argentina, but it is certainly not an Argentine monopoly. It is an important part of everyday life in Paraguay and Uruguay and is also consumed in parts of southern Brazil. Its popularity is now spreading well beyond South America.

In Argentina, mate is often shared. One person, the cebador, prepares it, adds hot water and passes it around the group. Everyone drinks from the same bombilla before returning it to the cebador. Yes, the same straw.

You will get used to it.

There is also a small piece of Argentine etiquette worth knowing. When someone says “gracias” after receiving the mate, it usually means “thank you, but I am finished.” It is your way of quietly leaving the round.

Mate is an excellent example of how food and drink can tell you something about a culture.

It is not just something Argentines drink.

It is something Argentines share.

Malbec and Argentine Wines

When it comes to Argentine wine, Malbec is the king.

Originally from France, Malbec found an extraordinary home in Argentina, particularly in Mendoza, where altitude, sunshine and dry conditions have helped turn it into the country's most internationally recognized grape variety.

But Argentine wine is not a one-grape story.

Cabernet Sauvignon has a long and important history in the country's vineyards. More recently, Cabernet Franc has also found its place, particularly among producers looking to showcase the diversity and potential of Argentina's different wine regions.

And there is much more beyond these varieties.

One of the pleasures of Argentine wine is discovering how differently the same grape can express itself depending on where it is grown. Mendoza may be the best-known wine region internationally, but it is far from the only one worth exploring.

And, naturally, Argentine wine has a very good relationship with Argentine food.

Malbec with asado is the obvious combination. But Argentine wine can accompany everything from an empanada to a long dinner with friends.

Just remember: in Argentina, wine is usually meant to accompany the meal.

The meal, however, may last long enough to require another bottle.

By the time you have tried the asado, empanadas, milanesa a la napolitana, pizza, fugazzeta, provoleta, dulce de leche, alfajores, artisan ice cream, mate and Argentine wine, you may begin to understand something about the country.

Food in Argentina is rarely just about eating.

It is about sitting down, taking your time, talking, arguing, laughing and sharing the table.