Help finding food that tastes like home for the Argentina Independent

[logan_986]

Hi guys, my name is Lillo, I'm a reporter at the Argentina Independent, I'm pretty sure everyone here knows the publication :=)
so.. here's the thing: we are running a 'food nostalgia' piece and my task for the week is to find shops (not restaurants) in which is it possible to find delicatessen and long-forgotten wonders from US, Canada, UK, Australia etc.
Things you are craving for but you can't find anywhere in Buenos Aires, like maple syrup on your pancakes, balsamic vinagre-flavoured Kettle chips, cheddar, real cider, tea bags, gravy, mustard, HB sauce, baked beans, worcestershire sauce, ingredients to make good tacos, lucky charms etc.

I'm pretty sure this kind of article will open many people's eyes and will be extremely useful to many.
Please, if you know of any shop around town, don't hesitate to share the knowledge here or via email ([email protected])

for the common good of the expat's community!
thanks a lot, cheers

Lillo

 

[scotttswan]

Tienda Inglesa in Maldonado/punte del este, Uruguay has Herr's Salt n Vinegar crisps.
Not sure if other Tienda Inglesa's stock the same ones though.

If anyone has seen Haggis, Irn Bru or Dr Pepper i'd be interested.

 

[steveinbsas]

.. here's the thing: we are running a 'food nostalgia' piece and my task for the week is to find shops (not restaurants) in which is it possible to find delicatessen and long-forgotten wonders from US, Canada, UK, Australia etc.
Things you are craving for but you can't find anywhere in Buenos Aires, like maple syrup on your pancakes, balsamic vinagre-flavoured Kettle chips, cheddar, real cider, tea bags, gravy, mustard, HB sauce, baked beans, worcestershire sauce, ingredients to make good tacos, lucky charms etc.

I'm pretty sure this kind of article will open many people's eyes and will be extremely useful to many.

You were right when you used the phrase "Things you are craving for but you can't find anywhere in Buenos Aires."

Most of the items you mentioned have almost completely vanished from the supermarket shelves in the past year...leaving Argentina lacking in what was once a decent if not overpriced choice of foreign flavors. We are left with supermarket shelves full of pasta and the most limited selection of canned goods and prepared foods of any country I have ever visited or lived in.

A year ago it was possible to find Campbell's soup, Hunt's spaghetti sauce and baked beans, as well as Newman's Own salald dressing in supermarkets like Carrefour, Disco, and Walmart..even in Bahia Blanca. I was at Walmart last week and the French's yellow mustard had already past it's expiration date, but there were only two bottles left. I haven't seen baked beans, A-1 or Tobasco sauce in many months.

I suggest you write about the lack of imported food items for which there is no Argentine substitute...and what caused it.

 

[Ashley]

I agree with Steve...there is barely anything here anymore (not that there was much even 10 years ago), certainly not enough to write an article about. Sorry to put a dampener on things but I'm certain that any "source" you do come across will have run out of its limited supply by the time you go to print and just won't be reliable.
Having said that, you can still get tobasco in China town, as well as ketchup flavour kettle chips (???) and varying brands of peanut butter (sometimes skippy). For Brits, every now and again you can buy Colman's mustard powder in China Town...in half kilo tubs! But like everything, sometimes it's there, sometimes it disappears for months.
There was a place, like a mini supermarket, in Puerto Madero where you could buy some things (Dr Pepper was spotted there once!...but it was long gone by the time I arrived). Can't remember the address. It was on a corner (if you search Dr Pepper in this forum, it should come up). But again, it had a v fluctuating supply and I'm sure what they do get in is bought up by the first expat to find it!
Theres a "bodega cervecera" on Thames which sometimes gets hold of nice imported Belgian beers...at more than 20 pesos for less than half a pint.
A pitiful situation overall!

 

[PhilipDT]

The first super market in china town (the "dry one") has jasmine rice. Long a staple of my youth and in my opinion the best rice for accompanying most foods.

Jumbo and Disco locations had real chedder from La Suerte for a while.

Grand Cru in Recoleta has one of the best selections of Burgundies if your wallet is ever to heavy and you're craving a bit of first world decadence.

 

[BednBreakfast]

I have been delighted to buy Gloria evaporated milk (leche evaporada) from two different bolivian fruit sellers in my neighbourhood (Monserrat) in the past few days. This was not available to me for some years here, though I searched high and low. Price 15 - 18 pesos a can.

 

[walkingtwig]

Tienda Inglesa in Maldonado/punte del este, Uruguay has Herr's Salt n Vinegar crisps.
Not sure if other Tienda Inglesa's stock the same ones though.

If anyone has seen Haggis, Irn Bru or Dr Pepper i'd be interested.

I'd kill for some irn-bru right now....

 

[scotttswan]

I'd kill for some irn-bru right now....

The closest i've come is Guarana although it really isn't anything like irn-bru.

you can phone these people http://www.aguamineralmorgade.com.ar/ and get them to deliver a case or two to your door but its not cheap.

Someone told me inca cola is like it but i found it was more like cream soda when i tried it. Good luck trying to find inca cola now though.

 

[garygrunson]

Someone told me inca cola is like it but i found it was more like cream soda when i tried it. Good luck trying to find inca cola now though.

Inca cola is easy to find in Abasto in every restaurant and most chinos sell it. No shortage.

 

[garygrunson]

A year ago it was possible to find Campbell's soup, Hunt's spaghetti sauce and baked beans, as well as Newman's Own salald dressing in supermarkets like Carrefour, Disco, and Walmart..even in Bahia Blanca.

Actually you can still find all these things still here in BA, Carrefour and Disco still have these, but you may need to go to all of the location, to find them. And there are new things still trickling in...

Carrefour in the Alcorta mall had most of them. Also the Carrefour on Beriti and Austria has most of these imported items. You should check the expiration date on all, but most are still good.

Disco is sometimes a good place as well, but this depends on the location.

Segafredo coffee has become harder to find as well, but Jumbo had plenty the last time I was there. (Since Starbucks coffee went over 54 peso for 250 bag, I switched to Segafredo)