Tucumán is famous across Argentina for its empanadas — small, juicy, baked-in-a-clay-oven half-moons of dough filled with beef, onion, hard-boiled egg, and a pinch of cumin. Locals will tell you, in some detail, why these are the best in the country. The other northwestern speciality is locro, a thick stew of corn, white beans, squash, and meat, traditionally eaten on national holidays. Tamales and humitas (corn paste steamed in husks) round out the regional plate.
The provincial cuisine reflects the indigenous and colonial layers of the northwest, and is best sampled at neighbourhood parrillas and family-run restaurants rather than glossy tourist spots. The streets around Plaza Independencia are full of options; the Mercado del Norte counters serve some of the cheapest and best empanadas in town.