What did immigrants eat? How did Italian immigrants transform the diets of Argentines and of other immigrants? And how did being in Argentina remake Italian food? This exhibit of everyday life seeks to answer these questions and to show how food was a central part of the immigrant experience, international trade, and the making of modern Argentina. Explore these brief histories of products that Italians brought with them, made in Argentina, or learned about and embraced once they arrived.
Wine
Wine was one way that Italians influenced the industries, environments, and cultures of both their home and host countries.
Vermouth
This fortified wine from Turin symbolized wealth, glamour, and Italianità.
Canned tomatoes
Though from the Americas, Italian migrants brought this fruit back to the Americas in new ways.
Pasta
Italians carried their love of pasta to Argentina and soon created factories in Argentina to feed immigrants.
Olive Oil
By 1910, Argentina imported more Italian olive oil than any other country in the world.
Mate
Italian immigrants were encouraged by neighbors, earlier arrivals from Italy, and even employers to join the mate circle.
Cookbooks
While previous generations learned to cook from relatives and friends, many locals and immigrants with sufficient resources bought this encyclopedic cookbook that would teach them how to be an Argentine woman and to cook Argentine food.
Cover Photo: Gastronomic Emporium of Guido Zappa