Argentine Falafel

Argentina is not designed for vegetarians. It's doable, but meat is so inexpensive in this country that it's extremely rare. Without a doubt, the two food items I miss the most are soy products and hummus, so the past few weeks have been a quest to find these things. Whether it is tofurkey slices, veggie burgers, or soy chicken cutlets (usually eaten on a sandwich with some form or flavor of hummus), the combination of these two products accounts for, on average, about 1.47 meals a day. Argentina is actually one of the largest producers of soy beans in the world, but the only soy products carried in grocery stores here are vegetarian hamburgers (1 brand, 1 type), milanesa de soja (soy milanesa, a type of breaded meat cutlet...usually beef but sometimes chicken), and occasional packages of plain tofu (I actually haven't seen this in a grocery store, but there are smaller specialty stores around called dietéticas that will sometimes carry it). Soy problem solved...or at least temporarily.

Next up hummus. After unsuccesful grocery store searches, I decided to ask my host mom. She had never heard of hummus, but was quite intrigued. This kind of surprised me since there is actually is a bit of middle eastern influence in the cuisine here. Most cafes will serve sanwiches on "pan árabe" (pita), so it seems that hummus wouldn't be too far removed from that. I asked around within the other exchange students here, and eventually learned that there was a small middle eastern restaurant called Dody about 20 blocks from my apartment that also carried hummus "para llevar" (to bring out of the restaurant).

Despite all of the cultural differences that exist, the hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern place is shockingly consistent.

I walked up to find the owner/chef/manager/waiter/sole employee smoking outside, and our conversation went something like this:
-"Are you open?"
-"What do you want?"
-"A falafel sandwich."
-"Come back in 10 minutes and I will cook you some falafel. I guarantee you it will be the best you have ever had." (Like I have never heard that at a Middle Eastern restaurant before...)

While it may not have been the best falafel I have EVER had, I was not disappointed. Falafel sandwich, gigantic plate of french fries, and a drink for 22 pesos ($5.50). Not bad. I also returned home with a container of freshly made humus to add to my lunch sandwiches. Mission accomplished.