Learn Argentina before you go

10 phrases to learn

In Spanish (Argentine, Rioplatense). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.

At the table

• Dinner is late. In Buenos Aires many restaurants serve dinner from about 8 in the evening, and the busiest time is from about half past nine.
• At an asado, the asador is the star. It is polite to thank and praise the cook before the meal is over.
• If you are offered mate, drink the whole gourd through the straw and hand it back to the person serving. Do not stir the straw, and only say 'gracias' when you have had enough: it means 'no more for me'.
• Waiters do not bring the bill until you ask. Say 'La cuenta, por favor'.
• The 'cubierto' on the bill is a cover charge for bread and table service. It is not a tip.
• A tip of about 10 percent is usual for good service. Leave it in cash if you can, because card machines often have no space for a tip.

Local tips

Dishes to try

• Asado: The Argentine barbecue, and a social event as much as a meal. Beef ribs, steaks, chorizo sausages, black pudding (morcilla) and other cuts are cooked slowly over wood embers on a grill called a parrilla. The person in charge of the fire is the asador, and the meal can last all afternoon.
• Chimichurri: An uncooked green sauce of finely chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, chilli, oil and vinegar, spooned over grilled meat.
• Empanadas: Half-moon pastries with a savoury filling, baked or fried and eaten with your hands. In Salta they are small, juicy and spicy, with potato; in Tucumán they are often made with beef cut by knife; in La Rioja the filling can include egg, olives and raisins. Each filling has its own pattern of folds on the edge, the repulgue.
• Choripán: A grilled chorizo sausage of beef and pork, split open and served in a crusty roll, usually with chimichurri. It is often the first thing to come off the grill at an asado.
• Provoleta: A thick round slice of provolone-style cheese, grilled until it is crisp outside and soft inside, then sprinkled with oregano and chilli. It is a favourite starter at an asado.
• Milanesa: A thin slice of beef or chicken, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried or baked. It is one of the most common home meals in Argentina, served with chips, mashed potatoes or salad, or in a sandwich.
• Locro: A thick, warming stew of white corn, beans, squash and meat, simmered for hours. Its name comes from the Quechua word ruqru.
• Humita: Fresh sweetcorn, grated to a cream and cooked with onion, squash, spices and sometimes cheese. It is eaten from a pot (humita a la olla) or wrapped and steamed in corn husks (humita en chala).

Cities to see

• Buenos Aires (capital): Tango, born in its working-class neighbourhoods, The Plaza de Mayo and the pink Casa Rosada, Cafés, bookshops and the Teatro Colón opera house.
• Córdoba: The Jesuit Block, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, A lively student life, Weekend trips to the Sierras de Córdoba.
• Rosario: The National Flag Memorial, Riverside parks and beaches on the Paraná, Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings.
• Mendoza: Malbec wine and vineyard visits, Views of the snowy Andes, San Martín's army set out from here in 1817.
• San Miguel de Tucumán: The House of Tucumán, where independence was declared, Empanadas, Green hills and sugar cane fields.
• Salta: Colonial buildings around the 9 de Julio square, Small, spicy empanadas salteñas, The Train to the Clouds, reached by bus from the city.

Landmarks and the city map are on the Argentina trip