Some girls like to shop for shoes and clothes, I choose to watch my bank account melt away on fancy cheeses, condiments, spices and booze. Normally I could spend hours food shopping, but walking into the chino or supermarket in Buenos Aires is a totally different story. I’ve always said that I could live in Argentina forever, as long as I had a secret Narnia wardrobe that would transport me into a bizarro world supermarket like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Sadly food shopping therapy in this country is less than desirable and with so many subpar products on the market, it’s hard to know which ones are really worth it. After trying and taste testing the chino shelves, here is the rundown of my favorites.
Fuze Tea
Last year I started an abusive relationship with this refreshing summertime iced tea, and it’s been hard to kick the habit ever since. Made by the Coca Cola company (protest if you will, hippie), it comes in either peach or lemon flavors, in small or large bottles. For those who like sweet tea, it’s awesome served extra cold (stick in the freezer before drinking so that it starts to ice up and crystalize), or if you’re like me and prefer a little less dulce, dilute it with water and a lemon squeeze. **I pronounce it FOOOOS or if I’m in a Downton Abbey mood, fuzaaaay.
Quaker’s Honey Graham Cereal
I grew up in a strict health-crazed household. My cereal intake was limited to oatmeal, Grape Nuts, and the bran nonsense picking up dust at the health food store (although my parents did allow one “sugar” cereal per year… on my birthday – wompwomp). So naturally after many years of cereal prohibition, as an ADULT I became a hound for crap cereal, making it my breakfast-lunch-dinner-munchies snack of choice: BRING ON the Lucky Charms (extra marshmallows), Captain Crunch, Corn Pops, and Cocoa Puffs. After exploring the stale world of Argentine cereal, I pretty much gave up hope until I came across two Quaker gems: Honey Nut Oats and Honey Graham. The first is very similar to Honey Nut Cherrios, while the other, my favorite, is like a crossbreed between Honey Grahams + Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What I like even better is that each box only costs 16 & 20 pesos, less than half of the price of most cereals.
This dreamy cookie is one of the best (and worst) things that has ever happened to the cookie loving porteño world. Sweet, crunchy, crackity, chocolatey, chipity, I like to put my cookie monster no-pants pants on and go loca with Toddy. *Hint: the Toddy EXTRA with thick layer of chocobase is the tops.
Bizcochos de arroz
Bizcochos make for a great yerba mate pairing, but can get a bit dangerous with many brands packed with the good lord’s butter aka lard. But Gallo’s version – both sweet and salty – are the absolute snackity bomb. While my paladar tends to erect for the savory, this time my vote goes to the sweetz.
Rarely do I leave the checkout aisle without adding this velvety chocolate square to my cart. A lil’ nug of layered chocolate-peanut sexiness, this might just be my favorite Argentine candy. And my tribute to marroc.
Cerealitas
When I had an office job I’d eat a pack of cerealitas a day until a bitchy co-worker suggested that my new found addiction may cause a depressing weight gain. But mama don’t care, she loves to snacka on dat cracka.
Imagine the holy combo of the Oreo’s creamy good part layered between a crisp buttery chocolate cookie, multiplied by three, and then covered in chocolate, and you get the alfajor Oreo. I’m not really into traditional alfajores, but these personal sized wonders are like Little Debbie Snack Cakes on steroids.
Sopa Maruchan aka Ramen
Instant ramen noodles are the absolute shit, anyone who disses it is no friend of mine. An essential household staple, way too often in a delivery-less time slot I open my empty cupboards to the wonderful sight of the beautiful Maruchan ramen. Add a poached egg, squirt some Sriracha, a few sprinkles of chopped cilantro or green onion, and I am satisfied with the dinner of my dreams.
Dahi Yogurt
Regularly shopping at the fancy food stores for all natural yogurt just isn’t realistic. So, whenever I want those healthy yogurt cultures (and sweet fruitz at the bottom), Dahi is the yogurt of choice. It’s firm, acidic, and not sickly sweet, but I mostly buy it so I can reuse the convenient glass jar.
Chomp
I’d like to give a big beso to whoever came up with these bite sized ice cream nuggets covered in a hard chocolate shell. CHOMPCHOMPCHOMPCHOMP.
And look! Ma! Dreams really do come true! The heavens have crashed! Worlds have collided! Stoners prayers have been answered! And the future of late night maxikiosco purchases have changed forever! Two huge players in the sweet game have teamed up for the ultimate buy, Chomp’s Reloaded: The Marroc Story.
FYI – Heladería goddess RAPANUI makes the ultimate (and much higher quality) raspberry CHOMP.
Tapas de Empanadas & Tartas
A lifesaver when making a quick dinner on the fly, keeping a package of store-bought empanada or tarta dough on the kitchen sideline is always important. I like to use the tapa de tarta as a sorta pizza, lying it flat on a pan, folding the edges of the dough to make a crust, and then adding toppings. Some of my flavor combinations: asparagus-goat cheese-caramelized onions-runny egg; prosciutto-arugula-pear; tomato sauce-fresh mozzarella-basil-red pepper flakes; or really any spices, herbs and sauces I find in my fridge.
Sesame Wheat Crackers
If you have absolutely zero self control like me, you will easily eat your way through the whole package of these cheap, delicious, “healthy” sesame wheat crackers in one sitting. Just make sure you don’t pick up the blue kind “sin sal” as that would be a mistake of colossal proportions.
Citric Orange Juice
Read the ingredients listed in many of the favorite Argentine juice brands, and you will have a Spanish tongue-twister of chemicals to pronounce. Packed with cavities, rainbow colored dyes, and all around artificialness, it is almost impossible to find a semi-natural alternative. While obvio it’s always better to be your own juicer, Citric Orange Juice is the only juice brands I’ve found thus far that isn’t loaded with a mouth-full of rotting teeth. OJO: Even though the juice claims to be made from only 16 freshly squeezed oranges, I’m still a bit skeptical because it doesn’t taste 100% natural.
Aguila Chocolate with Almonds
I’m not the biggest fan of most of the chocolate at the chino, but 23 pesos for Aguila’s decent milk chocolate with almonds is quite the impulse buy.
And of course a tribute to my all time favorite game show, SUPERMARKET SWEEP.
ursula says
I agree 100%, chinos in BA are definitely less than desirable. Only places I could spend time “food shopping” are New Garden shops, but they are so tiny, that I’m in and out in 10 minutes:(
Mayra says
I make like a deep dish out of the tarta tapas, add some cheese, pizza sauce, cantimpalo and all the veggie goodness I can think of. I used to get some crazy looks from my argie in laws, now everytime we make tartas, they ask me to make mine. :p
Stylekounsel says
The supermarket yogurt in BA is simply urgghh! Dahi included. It looks thicker because they use gelatine as a stabilizer. They shouldn’t even use the name ”Dahi’ which is indian for yogurt/curd. The ice creams here are fabulous, I’m baffled why can’t they make a decent yogurt with all that milk?!!
Emily says
I always say, the stuff I miss, I probably shouldn’t be eating, e.g. ranch Doritos, Twizzlers, processed bean dip (it exists but it’s expensive), $2 blocks of cream cheese, real cinnamon rolls, fruit snacks, etc.! Don’t forget how inexpensive it is to buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are not giant and tasteless and packets fresh spices from barrio chino. I eat better, but I do a lot more hours of hard labor in the kitchen!
paul says
I like to go to Reale Productos Gourmet in Recoleta where they have all the goodies we could find in this city and some imports.
NOLAchef says
OREO TRIPLE VANILLA ALFAJOR. It’s my everything.
Rafael Romero (@rafarom) says
I thought I was the only crazy one that made pizza with “tapa de empanada”!! Sweet…
Carlos says
Just juice your own OJ !
Elizabeth Buff Monaghan says
I think the citric tastes not completely natural due to the pasteurizing process. Actually, I don’t think that, i was told that. But I refuse to swallow it because OJ in UK is pasteurized too and tastes blimmin fine.
15 rubles alto guiso says
you’re living in a Soviet country now.
Nicolas Sandller says
I think PUROSOL juice also claims to be 100% natural (or non-rehydrated juice).