One of the more common complaints that many expats have about Buenos Aires is the lack of spicy food here. Argentines tend to use salt as their most common spice, and if you happen to order carne picante empanadas (spicy meat empanadas), you’ll probably get a little bit of black pepper added. Woo-hoo!
Luckily, a couple of enterprising expats have taken up the cause to bring more spice to Argentina. Calling themselves YaYa Beans, the recently graduated best friends decided that rather than trying out the job market back in the States they would travel around South America. Along the way, they stayed at an organic farm in Patagonia where they learned a secret hot sauce recipe. They then brought their newfound knowledge to Buenos Aires, where they created their own hot sauce, La Boca Roja.
I’ve now ordered several bottles from them and I have to say their hot sauce is damn good. Not just “good for Argentina”-good, but one of the best hot sauces I’ve had anywhere. I pretty much cannot eat empanadas anymore without having the hot sauce by my side. The same goes for any of the other otherwise relatively bland meals here.
You can get your own bottle by emailing them or visiting them every Sunday at the San Telmo street fair. I think their San Telmo fair table is particularly funny in that there is now going to be a whole group of tourists who go home with their “authentic” Argentine hot sauce.
Oh yeah, Ya Ya Beans also make some good music and pretty funny videos. Be sure to check them out too…
http://www.youtube.com/embed/szMc73LwBs8
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Be sure to check out our older post on the best salsa in Buenos Aires. They just started selling an amazing BBQ sauce as well.
