Pescaterianism in Buenos Aires: A Worth-it Struggle

Coming into Buenos Aires I knew that I would be surrounded by meat. After all, Argentina is practically the land of beef. Historically, it's been one of the largest exporters of the product and Argentine modern history would not be the same without it. However, as a pescatarian, I did not expect it to be half as tough as it initially was. With time, however, I’ve been able to understand what to expect and where to go.

As a Muslim girl, I'm pescatarian most of the time as most places do not serve halal meats- something which becomes exponentially harder when I leave the United States. I have been this way for almost the entirety of my life and thought I was used to the troubles of finding a palace to eat. In the United States, almost everywhere has at least one vegetarian option. In the rare case that they do not, it is safe to assume the place next door will. In other countries, though, it's almost always harder as many cultures are centered around a meat and because its population has not given into the rise of vegetarianism, pescatarianism, etc. that the US has seen a rise of in recent years. But, out of all of the places I have traveled, I have never found it to be as hard to be pescatarian as I did when I first came to Buenos Aires.

At first glance, it appears as though every meal is and every restaurant serves only beef. Argentine cuisine has been shaped by the country’s cattle-ranching history and influx of Italian immigrants, who brought their meat-heavy diets with them. Thus, finding meat-free options can be difficult. Everything from empanadas to pastas contain some version of meat and many Argentines are surprised when you tell them you don’t include meat in your diet. That being said, I have compiled a few tips that have helped me below.

Check menus in advance to make sure there are either options that do not include meat or options where you can order for the meat to be removed (If you don’t know Spanish, learn the word for “without meat” really quickly!). If you look closely, you’ll often find something, particularly if you’re at a small, street shop that sells empanadas and the likes!
Check out restaurants of other cuisines! Many Asian restaurants in Buenos Aires will sell vegetarian and pescatarian dishes.
Cook at home! While it’s difficult to find in restaurants, fish is rather easy to find in supermarkets. In my time here, I’ve found lots of trout, halibut, and tuna! 
Foods like arepas, empanadas, etc.often have vegetarian options!

Outside of this, because my pescatarianism is mainly based on my inability to find halal foods, I have had beef  in the few halal/kosher restaurants and shops near me. That, however, is an entirely separate topic which I will soon write about.

Throughout my stay in Argentina, I’ve gotten quite used to the struggle, but believe it all to be worth it. While Argentine cuisine is heavily meat-based, I’ve been able to stuff myself full of medialunas, alfajores, dulce de leche, and all the breads and pastries that Buenos Aires has to offer. Despite the inconveniences of being pescatarian, it is well, well worth it and I would not change it for the world.