The initial shock of being in another country made me a bit timid when trying new cuisine. At first, there didn’t seem to be many strange things on the menus, just strange words. Most of the food is influenced by Spain, but especially Italy. You can live on pasta for only so long before you feel the need to order an odd meal.

What is a bife de lomo? What part of the animal is it, and why is it so inexpensive? Well, I can’t answer any of those questions, but I can tell you that it is delicious.

Hamburgers aren’t ready without a fried egg, and a chicken sandwich isn’t complete without at least two generations of bird. Honestly it scares me to think of where the hypothetical “third-generation” of chicken would come from, but I wouldn’t put it past these people.

A milanesa is a steak that has been pounded flat, breaded and fried. It is sometimes served with a side of mashed pumpkin.

An empanada is like a small calzone that makes great finger food, and it is my personal favorite. Some of them are filled with odd things. Beef with olives and hard-boiled eggs seems to be the classic choice though.

The pizzas in Argentina are excellent, and all because of the cheese. The olives still have pits in them, too.

All of the dairy products here have so much more flavor than in the states. The cows are left free to roam in the grasslands. They don’t get any steroids or corn. They are grass-fed and happy. This puts Argentine beef among the best in the world. You can taste the love. The second steak that I ate here was so delicious that I ate everything on the plate.

I even ate the fat off of another person’s plate. I know that sounds disgusting, but it was delicious.

I have seen a few vegetarian restaurants, but the low cost and abundance of beef in Argentina really makes it a carnivore’s dream, and a vegetarian’s nightmare. A true vegan might starve to death.

The cuisine of Buenos Aires has three things that really bother me, though.

First is the similarity between menus, because it can be hard to find some variety. For most restaurants you don’t even need a menu except to know prices.

Second is breakfast. A “porteño” breakfast consists of a few croissants and a cup of coffee. I want eggs and fried potatoes and biscuits and gravy. I want to eat a breakfast that makes me go back to sleep.

Third is that dulce de leche is in absolutely everything. It is caramelized milk and it is delicious, but does it warrant its own section in what passes as a run-down Wal-Mart?

Editor’s note: Ryland received a Gilman Scholarship and is studying at Universidad Austral and the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina this semester. Ryland is ETSU’s first Gilman scholarship winner. He will be writing a series of columns throughout the semester.

Author