Buenos Aires, Argentina — Empanadas are a staple of Argentine cuisine. Every region has its version and most families have a secret recipe. They can be served both as quick, cheap, street food, or as an entrée in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Now, the scrumptious pastries are somehow at the center of a nationwide debate on inflation and high prices — one which includes Oscar-winning actors and President Javier Milei.
It began on May 24, in an episode of The night of Mirtha Legrand, a long-standing Argentine TV show where the host dines with celebrity guests. Legrand, 98, asked actor Ricardo Darín, 68, about the latest economic policies from Milei’s government, which encourage Argentines to spend their dollar savings even if they were not properly taxed.
“I don’t get this idea of taking the dollars out of the savings. What are they talking about? A dozen empanadas costs 48,000 pesos [around USD $41],” argued Darin, who starred in the recent Netflix hit El Eternauta.
Darin’s comment stirred a debate on social media. Users argued that the actor was referring to overall price increases.
President Milei’s administration has made significant progress tackling inflation, which was as high as 25% when he took office in December 2023, and has since dropped to 2.8% as of April. Food and beverages account for the largest portion (23.6%) of the inflation index.
However, during the same period, wages have not kept pace with inflation. Even private-sector workers have lost between 5% and 10% of their purchasing power compared to 2023. Public-sector and informal workers have suffered even greater buying power losses.
Following his remarks on television, supporters of the libertarian government flooded social media with price lists, jokes and insults, aiming to prove Darín wrong. Media outlets reported on the spread in prices affecting the empanada market, while government-affiliated journalists even produced brain-rot type memes, portraying the actor as an empanada and aired them on TV.
Indeed, food prices can vary widely in the Argentine market. A dozen empanadas from street vendors can cost as little as 10,800 pesos (about USD $9). The average price on delivery apps is 22,000 pesos (about $19). Premium establishments such as Mi Gusto, which Darín was referring to, can charge up to 48,000 pesos (about $42). At the Michelin-starred grill, Don Julio, a single empanada costs 7,700 pesos (about $7), or 80,000 pesos (about $69) for a dozen.
The debate intensified when Economy Minister Luis Caputo responded to Darín. “It was shameful to watch. He tried to seem down-to-earth and said something foolish, for which he is still being mocked on social media,” Caputo said.
“Keep calm, Ricardo. People can eat tasty empanadas for 16,000 pesos,” the minister added. “I’m glad he can buy the expensive ones, but he can’t say all empanadas cost that much.”
The savory controversy comes at a time when Milei’s administration is focused on lowering consumer goods prices to sustain a favorable exchange rate, all with the goal of reducing inflation. In April, Argentina signed a new USD $20 billion agreement with the International Monetary Fund to support its economic program, which is centered on fiscal surplus and a “strong peso.”
Read more: Argentina’s decade-old monetary “clamp” ends following Milei’s newly signed IMF deal
A heavy social network user, Milei also chimed in on the squabble, both posting price listings for empanadas and sharing memes of the actor.
“Of course there are cheaper empanadas, it depends on the neighborhood and such,” Darín replied after Caputo’s remarks on May 26. “In reality, I think it’s clear what we’re talking about: prices are high and people know it,” added the actor.
The Argentine Actors Association questioned the government for its “lack of respect and explicit aggression” towards Darín “just for freely expressing himself.”
“It seems the intention is to generate fear”, they added, echoing Milei’s dialectic war against journalists.
The debate led to marketing stunts, with many chains lowering their prices or offering special promotions on a dozen empanadas.
Mi Gusto ended up running a limited time special, with a dozen empanadas for the usual price of 8 (29,500 pesos, or $25). The promotion was celebrated by Milei himself on X.
