Salta and Its Regional Flavors

Empanadas, humita, locro, huaschalocro and tamales are the traditional dishes from northern Argentina. However, each region, each restaurant, each house has their own recipe to prepare these specialties. More paprika, more lard, less spices, potato or sweet potato... each cook has their personal touch, even when using the same elements.

As tourists, we always chose to learn about the authentic local gastronomic options. That is why we were concerned with spotting those sites where typical dishes were served.

In Salta, it was easy to indulge ourselves. We found the answer just asking at our hotel or our hosts. Of course there are preferences among the locals too. Recipes have been passed on by the first nations but today they are prepared with a wider perspective of taste and they may differ a little from one venue to the next.

Empanadas are a fast-food option while taking a break between outings. In Salta, they stand out for their homemade dough and their stuffing based on lean meat, potato, onion and condiments. They are fried in lard. When having more time to spare, we enjoyed some carbonada, humita, several kinds of locros and tamales, in which corn, beef and pork are repeated with various combination patters. The value of native ingredients such as llama meat, api or quinoa has increased and today are included in local menus.

To kill two birds with one stone, we went around the folklore festivals known as peñas. Good music, formidable performers and excellent dancers are accompanied by fantastic regional cuisine and of course wines grown in Salta. It is possible to observe some take-outs with masonry ovens in their yards in the city outskirts. Inside this oven, food is slowly cooked on the embers with lots of dedication. The final product is even more delicious.

Nevertheless, not all regional dishes are salty. There are also desserts and sweet bites worth tasting. We bought capias, empanadillas, sugar-coated nuts and we even had a cup of coffee with a piece of pasta real stuffed with cayote jam. It looked like a simple sponge cake, but it was not. We had to try it in order to notice the color of Salta.

“When in Salta, do as the locals do”, is the piece of advice granted by us who love traveling and destinations and always try the house specialties.