Argentine Appetizers

Argentinean appetizers differ in texture, consistence and cooking techniques, as some are served cold, some hot, complicated cooked or fresh and raw. Still, the most typical Argentinean appetizers are the picada and the pororo. Picada is also named hors d`oeuvres platter with a mixture of aliments: cubes of cheese, pieces of salami, olives in brine and French fries. Pororo is basically the traditional Argentinean popcorn. A specific Argentinean dish, which is eaten almost anywhere and at any hour, is the chimichurri. The recipe is a condiment used for steaks, but also on bread and toast as an appetizer. Chimichurri is prepared with: olive oil, vinegar, salt, crushed garlic, minced parsley, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, crushed bay leaves, bell pepper, onion and peeled and chopped tomatoes. A more complicated recipe is empanadas or beef turnovers; these are made of dough (flour, paprika, lard) and filling (olive oil, yellow onion, red bell pepper, chicken bouillon cube, ground cumin, beef shoulder, russet potato, raisins, scallions, eggs and Spanish olives.