So, I have heard many things about the food of Argentina. I have heard from many people that this country has the best steak in the world. It is among the world's leaders in the wine industry. They have a love affair with a tea called mate (pronounced mah-taye). On the other hand, I have heard critics say that the food here is bland, and totally fueled by meat and potatoes.
I have another perspective on the food of Argentina. I LOVE the food here. They love their postres, or deserts, more than Americans. Cookies, cakes, pies (with mounds of meringue), ice cream and many others. They have a chocolate/caramel topping that they dollop on anything called dulce de leche. The literal translation is "sweet milk," but that's not exactly an accurate descriptor (although, neither is HAMburger).
My meal last night was a perfect example of this. A popular breakfast/brunch at a streetside cafe here is cafe con leche y medialunas = coffee with milk and croissants. However, last night I was introduced to the "Grande Medialuna," an enormous croissant. And when I say enormous, look at the picture below. For scaling purposes, my host is holding an Oreo cookie next to it.
Now that we know HOW mammoth this thing is, I will tell you how it was prepared. Picture in your minds, a homemade variation on the 6-foot-long Subway party sub - with a gargantuan croissant. We stuffed ham and mozzarella cheese inside two horizontal cuts, making a double-decker sandwich out of one piece of bread. Three adults were eating this once piece, and after an hour, we conceded defeat against the Gastronomic Goliath that, I aptly named "La Locura" - The Madness.
With all that said, this dish is not exactly common. And with that being said - no matter how common or not, I've never seen this anywhere before in my life. And for that, I am proud of my newly adopted country.
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