Argentine cuisine may be described as a cultural blending of
Indigenous,
Mediterranean influences (such as those created by
Italian and
Spanish populations) within the wide scope of livestock and agricultural products that are abundant in the country 'Argentine Gastronomy', June 6, 2008 Argentine annual consumption of
beef has averaged 100 kg (220 lbs) per capita, approaching 180 kg (396 lbs) per capita during the 19th century; consumption averaged 67.7 kg (149 lbs) in 2007. Beyond
asado (the Argentine
barbecue), no other dish more genuinely matches the national identity. Nevertheless, the country's vast area, and its cultural diversity, have led to a local cuisine of various dishes. The great immigratory waves consequently imprinted a large influence in the Argentine cuisine, after all Argentina was the second country in the world with the most immigrants with 6.6 million, only second to the United States with 27 million, and ahead of other immigratory receptor countries such as Canada, Brazil, Australia, etc.