The China Mail - Argentine fans challenge Kansas City's BBQ crown

Supporters decked out in blue and white have arrived in droves ahead of Tuesday's game against Algeria, bringing their asado culture to the streets of the Midwestern US city.

Their claim to barbecue supremacy is a brave one in a town that is proud of its own culinary reputation and even boasts a museum dedicated to the art.

As meat sizzled at Argentine restaurant Los Hornos, fans dressed in Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona shirts danced to a relentless drumbeat.

Marco Narvaez, a US-based Argentine who owns a renovation company, has lived in Alabama since 1996, but he is still convinced his native barbecued food is the best.

"Look, I've tried American barbecue and honestly, personally, I don't like it," the 56-year-old told AFP at the noisy gathering.

"I prefer to make asado with a little chimichurri, you know? But Argentine asado is priceless. Plus, it's known all over the world. Of course, it's priceless and has no rival."

Tony Rivilli, a short-term rental property manager from Cordoba, is open-minded but ultimately agrees that Argentina is the winner.

"It's impossible for me to tell you that Argentine asado isn't better," said the 25-year-old. "I've tried both. There's an American cut called brisket, which is delicious.

"My issue, or the difference I see, is that they like to marinate or add sauces, whereas with Argentine style it's just salt and pepper.

"Both are good, they're just different. For me an asado is one thing and a barbecue is another. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy both."

A few miles across town, Argentine businessmen Leo Garcia, 51, and Carlos Espina, 52, were sampling US-style fare at the wildly popular Joe's Kansas City BAR-B-QUE.

"For me, nothing compares to Argentine asado," said Espina. "This (US food) is spicy, I'm an Argentine asado person.

"The taste is different, it's another taste, Americans have a different palate."

Back at Los Hornos, Daniela Ruiz, a sign language interpreter from Buenos Aires, explains that the culture of asado is broader than the food itself.

"Argentine asado is more than eating meat, it's more than getting together, it's about bonding," said the 54-year-old.

"From early in the morning you build the fire, with charcoal, with wood, however you like, and it cooks for a long time before we sit down at the table to enjoy it.

"It has to do with something that goes beyond simply sitting at a table to eat. So maybe that's what gives it a flavour that nothing in the world will ever be able to match."

Y.Parker--ThChM