Patagonian
Lamb on the iron cross, king crab from the cold south.
Cordero Patagónico
Patagonia's emblem — a whole lamb splayed on an iron cross (cordero al palo) and slow-roasted upright over open coals for several hours, the skin crisping and the meat turning meltingly tender in the steppe wind. The communal asado of the windswept south, carved straight off the cross.
View page →Patagonian cooking is the food of the vast, windswept south of Argentina and Chile — a frontier cuisine of fire-roasted meat, cold-sea shellfish, glacial lakes, and immigrant traditions. Its emblem is cordero al palo, a whole lamb slow-roasted upright over coals. From the icy seas comes the centolla king crab; curanto is the pit feast of shellfish and meat under hot stones. Introduced trout thrive in the lakes; the Welsh of Chubut left the dark torta galesa; and the calafate berry, legend says, brings you back to Patagonia. Lamb, king crab, trout, calafate, and fire — that is the Patagonian pantry.
The Palate
Start Here
A whole lamb splayed on an iron cross and slow-roasted upright over open coals for hours.
Why start here · Patagonia's emblem — the communal asado of the windswept south.
Tierra del Fuego's giant southern king crab, steamed and dressed with oil, lemon, and onion.
Why start here · The luxurious cold-water prize of the Beagle Channel.
Shellfish, meat, potato, and dumplings steamed under hot stones and leaves in a pit.
Why start here · The ancient communal pit feast of Chiloé and Andean Patagonia.
The Pantry
On the Map
Where this cuisine is found
Regional Styles
The Steppe Asado
The fire-roasted lamb and the Welsh-colony black cake.
The Cold Southern Seas
The king crab, the pit feast, and the fjord mussels.
Lakes & Berries
The glacial-lake trout and the legendary calafate berry.
How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
