Đây là 1 tập phim tài liệu trong series STREET FOOD – Latin America trên Netflix.
Tortilla, “Las Chicas de las Tres” in the Central Market.
People from Buenos Aires are very passionate. We are very passionate about everything. About soccer games, about tango, about politics, in our discussions, in our opinions. We’re more similar to Europe than we are to other Latin American countries. There aren’t many native people. That population was almost decimated in the Spanish conquest. What remained was the culture of the immigrants. The European influence in Buenos Aires can be seen in the architecture, in the culture, in the art, in the music, and especially in the food. If we make a list of the most important street foods of Buenos Aires, we’d have to put the meat, then choripán, then we could add milanesa, pizza, empanadas, and the tortilla. And the best kept secret in the city is the stuffed tortilla at Las Chicas de las Tres in the Central Market.
“In Argentina, we like cheese a lot. So, my secret weapon is the “mozzarella effect”, with the potato tortilla. When I cut it and lift it up, the feeling is like boom. It makes me feel like a rock star.” (Pata Podriguez).
Fugazzeta (Argentina stuffed pizza), “La Mezzetta Pizzeria”
Almost everyone in Buenos Aires has an Italian family member in their family tree. The strong migratory wave from Italy became the foundation of Buenos Aires. The Italian immigrants brought different types of pizza. And, years later, around 1893, the fugazzeta was invented in Buenos Aires.
The fugazzetta is a big pizza. The cheese must be almost as thick as the dough. And if one wants to know where to eat the best pizzas in Buenos Aires, they must look for the places filled with taxies at the door. They’re the ones who know where you can eat well and for cheap. And taxi drivers always go to La Mezzetta. It’s a pizza place that never changed with the passing of time. People came to work there and stayed their whole lives.
“I’ve been working here for 57 years. When I’m at home, I’m nervous and irritated because I miss being here. I’m already retired, but I was allowed to continue working here. It’s a reward, a gift they gave me. The fugazzeta is our war horse. It’s a stuffed pizza. It has a cover and a base, where mozzarella is added approximately 1.5 kg and then it has onions on top. We make 100 every day. My favorite food is pizza. I eat pizza every day. I don’t get bored of it.” (Francissco Ibanez)
Empanadas (fried beef turnovers), “Lo de Fabi”
The city of Buenos Aires is different from the provinces of Argentina. But the Mataderos Fair is a bit like having the whole country symbolized in one very small place. All the provinces are represented there with their music, culture, and cuisine. It’s a great place to taste the flavors of Argentina especially the fried beef turnovers. Each province has its own recipe for empanadas, and they all say that theirs are the best.
“Empanadas are the typical street food of Argentina. My empanada is made with chopped beef, onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, a little bit of oregano. Cumin is crucial in the empanada. I started my stall 21 years ago with only a small grill. And now I have two stalls which are managed by my sons. We’re, like, a fair family. The fair is a way of life for us. For all of us from the province who like returning to their roots. We come here to the fair. It’s , like, a day in the countryside for us.” (Fabian Peralta)
Choripan (Chorizo sandwich), “El Puesto De Ruben”
At every soccer game, one eats a choripan. Where there’s people, there’s choripan. It’s the heart of street food. The choripan is the perfect summary of Argentina street food. The meet, the barbecue, the passion for soccer, it’s all represented there in a piece of pork meat, between two pieces of bread, and, at most, a bit of chimichurri. You can’t add anything else on top. The rest of the sauces are completely forbidden.
“Choripan is the number one steet food that has ever been in Argentina. Anybody can be a griller, but I consider myself a choripan chef. In 2001, I started culinary school. But then came the economic crisis. Everything was expensive. I lost my job. I was desperate. One Sunday, I saw people leaving the stadium with a choripan in their hands. I said, “That’s my way out”. So I began my stall enterprise in order to support my family. The first day I started the grill, I felt alive again. I felt useful, with a purpose. Because, when visiting the stadium, if you didn’t eat choripan, you were never there.“ (Reben Batalla).
