Foods that could be produced here?

[Amargo]

My Argentine boyfriend would KILL for more peanut butter from the States (and a box of Twinkies)...it's just a matter of getting them to give it a chance, that's the hard part!

My experience so far has been that Argentines dislike peanut butter, as it is too thick, not so sweet...as a friend said "tenés que tomar dos baldes de agua para bajarlo"

 

[Napoleon]

Names, I want names.

Otro Mundo: it's OK
Barba Roja: yuck
Antares: it's decent

I'm a beer snob, admittedly.

I'm twice the snob you'll ever be, but I'm going to take a siesta before the wine expo this evening, so I won't go off quite yet.

Start with KUNSTMANN Ale. It's rivals an English ale and it's either made near Bariloche or in Chile.

I would put Patagonia's WEISS beer against any hefeweissen because I like the citrus flavor brewed in. It's much better than Blue Moon, Sam Adams Hefeweissen, Shiner Hefeweissen, Widmar Bros...

And YES, Patagonia is made by Quilmes.

There's a beer store on ~Sarmiento between Av. Alem & Calle 25 de Mayo that offers a ton of domestic micros. There are also events like CAMINOS y SABORES going on RIGHT NOW!! At La Rural that offers up a variety of Beers, Cheeses, some wines... and other stuff.

http://www.larural.com.ar/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=177

Start looking and stop bitchin'! Then when you find stuff, share the knowledge. That's what I always do. And I'm borderline insoportable!!

 

[angelskywalker]

As a brainstorming session this is good. But I think it'd be better to organize your ideas, find a target and work on its needs. Otherwise, this will end up being another let's- critisize- locals- for- not- having -taste- at- all post.

 

[Ashley]

I agree with everyone that cheese would be a good one (a nice, mature or medium mature chedder). I also think that a tomato juice is much needed and you could make a lot just selling it to bars and restaurants (I had a bloody mary recently at one of the American restaurants here (something or other party) and the home-made juice they used was stomach-churningly repulsive. I avoid making them at home because the imported campbells stuff is just too expensive.
I also think there's a gap in the market for decent vegetarian products here. Unless you go to a restaurant or purchase something bland from a dietetica, the only stuff you can get here are soy milanesas and the occasional soy burger or plasticy frankfurter. If you were to make a decent sausage/burger/general false meat (seitan-type) product, I'm sure you could really cash in from both the expat and local market (its very much a meat eaters world here but I'm seeing more and more vegetarians).
Peanut butter is already covered in China Town. And I don't think its much liked by locals.

 

[CarverFan]

The main problem is keeping costs down. I bought a case of peanut butter from damemani but it's already gone up 20% since 5 months ago and works out at $15 a jar. You have to buy 12 ($180). I used to buy the tahini here but it became prohibitively expensive. I would like to know how much this new bacon costs....anyone know?? The cheese? My god, I saw on Disco that 1kg of Suerte cheddar is like $170. Crazy!!!

 

[RobinsonGO]

We could really use some more adventure minded farmers. My verdulero was telling me that he buys his onions from BRASIL! He was saying that the majority or the onions grown from here are exported, fine, but why are there not more Argentine onion farmers selling to local markets as well. I think any farmer that fills his fields with high quality vegetables; organic or not and sells to a local market, will sell everything he has. I am talking everything from specialized quality Tomatoes to Onions to Hops to a better Sweet Corn to a Mushroom Farm and Peppers and Herbs. For as large of a country we are here we could be feeding the world with more than soy.

 

[Davidglen77]

The main problem is keeping costs down. I bought a case of peanut butter from damemani but it's already gone up 20% since 5 months ago and works out at $15 a jar. You have to buy 12 ($180). I used to buy the tahini here but it became prohibitively expensive. I would like to know how much this new bacon costs....anyone know?? The cheese? My god, I saw on Disco that 1kg of Suerte cheddar is like $170. Crazy!!!

Make your own tahini, its sooo easy!
250 gr Sesame seeds (raw)
100 ml +/- Olive or sunflower seed oil
100 ml +/- Water
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Dry roast sesame seeds in a hot frying pan LIGHTLY for about 3 mins (don't let them get brown)
Put sesame seeds in blender with water, oil and salt and blend little by little until smooth add more oil or water if necessary to achieve desired consistency

I never thought all of the things my grandparents used to make at home would come in so handy here. I have been making my own soap, lotion, bread, tahini, hummus, babaganoush, fruit preserves, butter, pastas, and I bought a sewing machine and have made seat cushions, curtains, and soon I am going to embark on making my own fruit liquors if I can only find rock candy somewhere. I am loving it. It's really not about the cost, although I won't pay those crazy prices for ice cream and fresh pasta anymore. Some things I am just going to live without, anyway eventually prices will drop like a stone in a lake, just a matter of time

 

[katti]

What about (organic) grape juice? (without chemicals and without sugar?) I have never seen it here and I really miss it.

 

[Lucas]

I have been making my own soap, lotion, bread, tahini, hummus, babaganoush, fruit preserves, butter, pastas, and I bought a sewing machine and have made seat cushions, curtains, and soon I am going to embark on making my own fruit liquors if I can only find rock candy somewhere. I am loving it.

Would you marry me?....please.

 

[scotttswan]

My friend Heath, a long term expat, has a sideline producing bacon. It's what an Englishman would consider real (and top quality) bacon, i,e, it doesn't shrink in the pan, has enough fat to be flavorful, but around the outside of the rasher, and can equally be served cooked or crispy (without the need to put it under a grill). Everyone I have introduced this product to has loved it, Argentine or otherwise. He is about to start producing sausages. The point is he has managed to persuade the producers that there is a market for a particular product, and also that that product is pleasing to Argentine's as well as expats. I suspect he will succeed with the sausages as well.

My question is, what other products (without the need for massive industrialization - i.e. good quality artenesal products that you would buy but that would not be "scary" to Argentines - no curry sauce for instance) is it worth producing here, either for internal, expat or export market.

you come here talking about your bacon and sausages yet you don't tell us where we can get them!

shocking behaviour!

get a website up with order/delivery details now!


as for products..... Local made "kettle" crisps (chips for you yanks out there) in Salt n Vinegar flavour. Every local who has tried the ones i brought back from Uruguay liked them.

Grape juice / Raspberry juice should be available here considering these fruits are grown here.

"traditional" soft drinks such as dandelion and burdock, ginger beer etc could all be interesting. After all they're mostly sugar water.