Inhabitants of Buenos Aires are called Porteños (those who live by the Port). Inhabitants of Salta are called Salteños.
Argentines are passionate people. It is rare to walk through a park or public place without being subjected to a marathon make-out session. The men are no exception to the passion rule. It may be a little overwhelming to foreign women, but the men here generally don’t mean any harm with their cat-calls and ‘hello baby’ comments. In fact, Argentine women who leave the country have been known to miss this form of Latino flattery. Unless you feel you are in danger, there is no need to be rude. Simply smile and continue about your business.
Mate
Drinking Mate is a typical Argentine tradition. To properly drink Mate you need a small cup with a brew of a simple herb and warm water, drunk through a straw. This is not an activity to be enjoyed solo - on the contrary it is like a ritual of sharing with friends. Anytime is a good time for drinking mate. The taste may seem a little bitter and strange if it is your first time. Don´t worry… you can add some sugar or wait until the flavour diminishes and it’s not as strong.
Dining
Although the tap water is very drinkable in all parts of Argentina, restaurants do not provide tap water, you must buy bottled water.
Brunch is not a part of the Argentine culture. Breakfast is the only morning meal and is generally eaten at home or as a media-luna (croissant) or toast in a café.
If you venture out for dinner before 9:00pm, you are likely to be eating solo. Argentines rarely dine before 10:00pm and often wait until much later… how do they do it? La Hora de Te (tea time) is a ritual between 5-7pm where factura's (pastries) or cakes are eaten.
If you enjoy pepper with your meal, carry some packets with you. It's rare to find it at a restaurant.
McDonald's is considered to be high end here, not only because of its prices, but also because the meat is of high quality.
Tips are generally not able to be left on credit cards slips, so make sure you have extra small bills on hand.
Tipping
Tipping at a restaurant is typically 10% and generally is not already included in the bill. If you are sitting at a bar, it is recommended to leave any change that you have. This is not expected but is a nice gesture that is usually rewarded with better service. Taxis are generally not tipped. If you have something delivered you should leave A$1-2. For esthetic services, A$2-5 is expected for a hair appointment and A$1 is typical for pedicure / manicure.
Hotels
Many of the hotels in the mid-range (with the exception of the chains) will provide a discount on the room if you pay cash, usually eliminating the 21% tax.
Dog Walkers
Dog walking is a large source of employment in BA. People in Argentina love their dogs and it is not uncommon to see some poor soul tangled in a pile of over a dozen dogs on the way to the park.
Kiosks
Kiosks are located on every street corner. Here you can buy everything, candies, drinks, top up cards for your phone, magazines…
Football
The sport is the passion of Argentines from all over the country, particularly Porteños, who are taught from an early age which team they are meant to support, and as such provide their unwavering dedication to that team and its players. The two real options are the Boca Juniors and River Plate. A 'Super Clasico', where these rivals meet in competition, should not be missed. To give you an idea of their dedication to the sport - in 1990 when the Argentines were cheated out of the title, all school classes were cancelled.
Check out this short video about local etiquette (more below)
Common Expressions
The immigrants to Argentina greatly influenced the country’s culture through everything from art and architecture to the Spanish language we hear today. Many modern expressions have been derived from foreign influences. This type of slang used by Argentines, particularly by Porteños is called lunfardo, and it is the typical language used in popular tango lyrics. Many of these words may be recognizable to you:
Birra - Beer. I am used to drinking Birra with my friends on Saturday nights. Che - Serves to address the person to whom you are referring. Che Martín, are you coming to the party tonight? Morfar - To eat, to feed. What are we going to Morfar at midday? Apolillar - To stay in bed. He is going to apolillar because he is tired of working so hard. Pibe - Child or Boy. Hey Pibe! Be careful with the dog, it looks angry. Pilcha - Clothing or gown. I went to the disco in my favorite pilcha. Mango - Can refer to weight, money in general, or a bank bill. I am running out of money I haven’t got a mango.
Pronunciation
Spanish spoken in Argentina can be very different from other Spanish speaking countries thanks to the heavy Italian influence. Here, the double ‘L’ in words like pollo and calle are pronounced like ‘j’ instead of ‘y’. Watch this video for more tips.
