Five Traditional dishes from Tucumán, unskippable!

Tasting the native food of the destination should be a must for every traveler, something that turns out to be even better when we talk about yummy dishes. An experience that you can live with the five traditional dishes from Tucumán, of great indigenous and Spanish influence (after the invasions), and neighboring provinces such as Salta, Jujuy and Catamarca.

A real luxury and we are not talking about price, but tastiness. Wishing for you to have a better idea of what we’re telling you, we prepared this top 5 with the best dishes of Tucumán. You can’t miss it, it’ll be a real gift to your palate.

·         TUCUMAN EMPANADAS, TYPICAL DISH

I’m sure you’ve heard of them, it’s the most famous dish in the province. Tucuman empanadas are quite similar to those we can find in the rest of the country. The difference is that, besides including meat, hard-boiled egg and green onion in its filling, they are cooked in the mud oven.

However, there are also filled with cheese, ham or mondongo and they can be cooked in the gas oven or fried. Simply put, there is for all tastes, so there are no excuses to not try them.

That said, it’s important to know that if you travel in September, you can enjoy the National Empanadas Festival held in the town of Famaillá. Without a doubt, an excellent alternative to taste this typical Tucumán dish.

·         ALFEÑIQUE

The Alfeñique is one of the least known national sweets, although in the province of Tucumán, from where it’s originally, it is consumed a lot. Basically, it’s a hard caramel shaped like a rounded and twisted medium rectangle, which is made from sugar cane honey, sugar paste and almond oil. Once all of those ingredients are mixed, they stretch to achieve a long crooked bar shape. It is then cut into small rectangles and cooked.

·         TAMALES TUCUMANOS, TYPICAL DISH

A case similar to empanadas. Tucuman tamales are a local version of a dish that you can find in other regions of the country and even in other nations, but with some variants. If you travel to this province, you will notice that this typical dish is widely served in the premises that are located along Tucumán. It’s quite simple to prepare, being cooked and consumed from generation to generation. There is no doubt, it’s a meal deeply rooted in the culture of this destination.

Tamales Tucumanos dough is prepared with cornmeal and anco. It is then stuffed with beef, charqui (which would become dried meat) or pork, roe raisins, eggs, salt and pepper. In some regions they also put cumin or grated ginger.

In a nutshell, the Tamales Tucumanos are a must for all those who want to have a true Tucuman experience on their journey. From Moebius we can recommend the best places to taste these dishes.

·         BOLLO WITH CHICHARRÓN

Another typical dish that we recommend you try while traveling around Tucumán is the famous Bollo with Chicharrón. 

As the name says, it consists of a mixture that gives way to a large dough made with flour, vaccine fat, yeast, salt, water, ground chicharrón –to flavor– and, of course, chicharrón fat in small squares, which gives a very special and characteristic taste to the dish.

It is recommended to consume freshly removed from the oven or toasted. Eating it with mattes makes it better for a very local experience.

·         THE TUCUMAN QUESILLO

Another specialty of the province of Tucumán is the local quesillo. It is usually found in different presentations. That is, in goat cheese, cow cheese or even sheep cheese. The ideal places for tasting it are Tafí del Valle and San Pedro, although you can try different types throughout the province (yes, there are many local producers all over Tucumán).

Unlike cheese (which also stands out a lot from its production in Tucumán), quesillo is a variety of fresh cheese that is left to curd and, once the whey is drained, hangs on wire ropes, obtaining its elongated shape. In Tucumán both cheese and quesillo are usually eaten with honey, rice dishes or different types of jellies and jams

These five typical Tucumán dishes will enchant you, so don’t hesitate to include them in your meals. Tasting the local food of your destination is undoubtedly an essential part of a holiday. Live the culinary experience! If you have any doubt, contact our travel specialists! For the Moebius team it would be a pleasure to provide you with the advice and accompaniment you need in planning your trip to this splendid province of Argentina.