THERE were nine dishes on the menu, including desserts, and only three or four had beef in them.

This isn?t quite what you would expect of a typical Argentinean meal, if you have read or heard of Argentina?s famous asados (barbecues) and pucheros (stews). The South American country is, after all, one of the world?s biggest meat producers.

Of course, very little is known of Argentina?s cuisine in these parts, even as a local brand of corned beef is named after it. Perhaps that?s the extent of what Filipinos know of the food in the land of Eva Péron: that meat is a major part of the diet.

?It?s true we eat a lot of beef, but that?s not all that we eat,? said our hostess, Dr. Silvia Schuff, wife of Argentina Ambassador Mario Schuff. ?You know, just as [foreigners] may think Asians eat only rice. You have other foods.?

The Schuffs, whose 6?-year posting in Manila ends this month, invited Inquirer Lifestyle to a specially prepared Argentinean lunch in their Makati home.

Gracious hosts, the Schuffs regaled guests with interesting tales and video on the sensual Argentinean tango, how it differs from the Spanish, for instance.

The Schuffs enjoy their food, but they?re also health buffs: the Ambassador runs in the neighborhood; his svelte wife also runs but on the treadmill.

Gastronomic regions

Argentina has several gastronomic regions. The central part, where Spanish ? and later, Italian ? immigrants settled, has the famous asados, pucheros, empanadas, and also pastas and pizzas. It was also under Spanish colonial rule; the Spaniards brought livestock and wheat. Buenos Aires, the capital, belongs to the central plains.

The northwest, unsullied by outside influence, has pre-Hispanic foods based on maize, pumpkins, potatoes, peppers and llama meat. It?s an agricultural region.

The Patagonian plateau, along the Atlantic coast, is known for seafood. German and Welsh immigrants brought European influences to the cuisine.

The famous yerba mate tea originated from the northeast region. Owing also to European immigrants, Argentina is now a formidable wine producer in Latin America. The Philippines imports some of these wines.

?Our food is a mix of Spanish, Italian, French influences,? said the ambassador. ?But a lot of it also has peasant roots,? he explained the decidedly rustic menu.

Distinct flavor

The meal was preceded by a selection of empanadas with beef or corn filling, not much different from the empanadas Filipinos know. Aji molido, or ground red pepper, however, gave them their distinct smoky flavor (Dr. Schuff brings packets of these from home).

While the empanadas were served as hors d?oeuvres, Dr. Schuff said young Argentineans now typically serve a platter of empanadas with a big bowl of salad at get-togethers.

?Young people don?t have much time to cook or even a big space to cook a meal,? she said. ?They usually just gather around a platter of these. It?s easy to make and very filling.?

Le Soufflé chef Jessie Sincioco, whom the Schuffs asked to prepare the meal, underscored the use of corn in most of the dishes.

?They?re very easy to prepare, and the food is very light,? she said. The Hearts of Palm Salad was refreshing, tossed in a light Dill-Yogurt Dressing.

Torta Pascualina followed the salad, a spinach pie so creamy it begged for seconds. A dish of ground beef and corn, Pastel de Choclo, came after the soup (corn), then a hearty stew called Carbonada Criolla served in a baked pumpkin bowl, washed down by a fine Argentinean Malbec.

Sincioco sent out a refined version of the carne asada, beef skewers with the quintessential Argentine barbecue sauce, the chimichurri, a mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, oregano and red pepper.

The lunch was capped not by one but three desserts: Flan, exactly like our own leche flan; Panqueque de Dulce de Leche, or crepes with milk caramel; and Alfajores, a shortbread cookie sandwich.

Dairy-rich Argentina is famous for its dulce de leche, made from scratch using fresh milk, sugar, vanilla and sodium bicarbonate. It?s strenuous work to stir the milk mixture continuously until it thickens to the right consistency. But Dr. Schuff shared a tip: Putting glass marbles into the pan makes the stirring more effective.

?It?s science!? she said. (Others prefer to take the shortcut: by boiling an unopened can of condensed milk for 3-4 hours.)

Alfajores is a delicate confection usually slathered with dulce de leche. It?s so divine, our fellow guest ? who initially said no to dessert ? changed her mind after the first bite. A woman who was a cook at the embassy for a long time but has since retired makes a batch for the Schuffs on special occasions.

Alfajores is a popular gift in Argentina, often sold in bakeries in beautifully wrapped boxes. There was no better way to conclude the meal than with a piece of it.