Asados are not for vegetarians , unless an evening of grilled cheese and salad appeals. Asian or Middle Eastern food (things like stir-fries, hummus and tabbouleh) may be the answer to vegetarians' prayers; in such a carnivorous land, real vegetarian food is very hard to come by and the phrase " no como carne " (I don't eat meat) is sometimes dismissed with a glib " no tiene mucha " (It doesn't contain much, referring to a pizza with a slice or two of ham on it, for example). That said, many locals are becoming aware of the health hazards of eating too much meat (an obsession with ácido úrico has become a nationwide mania), and health-food shops and "green" restaurants, some of them cooking very good food, are cropping up in towns and cities right across Argentina.

The other way to survive, apart from self-catering, is on a diet of omelettes, cheese empanadas , fondues or salads. Vegans ill have a very hard time - veganism is unheard of in the country - and should be prepared for a constant battle of wits.