The cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires is known for its cafe culture. As in many European cities, Buenos Aires residents enjoy passing the hours with a cup of coffee, a newspaper, or a few friends at their neighborhood cafe.
If you study Spanish in Buenos Aires, you will soon find yourself gravitating towards these pleasant little cafes. As you sit with your coffee, you will no doubt begin to be tempted to try the many pastries and desserts on display as well. Here’s an overview of the most popular items:
Dulce de Leche. This thick, caramel spread is a frequent contributor to Argentine desserts. You’ll find it in cakes, cookies, and pastries of all types.
Dulce de Membrillo. Argentina’s second favorite filling is dulce de membrillo, a firm, dense paste made from quince fruit. The paste is used in pastries, spread on bread at breakfast, and even served by the slice with cheese for a snack.
Alfajores. Argentina’s favorite cookie, this small sandwich cookie lends itself to many variations. Most versions are filled with either gooey caramel dulce de leche or jam. The finished cookie may be dusted with powdered sugar, rolled in coconut, dipped in chocolate, or coated with meringue.
Facturas. Facturas are basically filled pastries, the most popular of which is the medialuna. Medialunas are crescent-shaped pastries (croissants) filled with sweet or savory mixtures. It goes without saying that you will see plenty of dulce de leche and dulce de membrillo medialunas!
Churros. The Argentine version of this popular Spanish snack features–you guessed it–dulce de leche. These deep fried, sugar coated treats can be bought from street vendors as well as from bakeries.
Postre Balcarce. This decadent cake is quite famous in Argentina. It is similar to a layered sponge cake, stuffed with whipped cream, dulce de leche, meringue, candied chestnuts, walnuts and almond paste, then covered with powdered sugar and coconut. Because this cake is so difficult to make, bakeries and restaurants in Buenos Aires usually serve a postre “tipo” Balcarce (Balcarce style cake) rather than the genuine article. For the authentic flavor, you must travel to the city of Balcarce.