What is a medialuna?
The medialuna is the most Argentine pastry of all. The name means "half moon", after its shape, and at first glance it looks like a small croissant. But it is not. The dough is denser and sweeter, it is baked with a layer of sugar syrup on top that leaves it glossy and slightly sticky, and you eat two or three at a time, never just one.
In Argentina, "café con medialunas" is a single unit. It is the breakfast at the bar, the afternoon snack and the first thing people order when they come back to the country after a trip. Argentine bakeries are estimated to bake millions of them every day.
Medialuna versus croissant
Both come from the same family, the buttery laminated dough the Viennese took to Paris. But each went its own way:
| Medialuna | Croissant | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Small, fits in your hand | Large |
| Dough | More compact, closer to brioche | Very flaky, falls apart in layers |
| Taste | Sweet, with syrup on top | Neutral, buttery |
| Fat | Butter or lard (the "de grasa" ones are saltier and crunchier) | Always butter |
| Eaten | Several, with milky coffee | One, with jam |
The de manteca (butter) ones are the sweet, fluffy classics for coffee. The de grasa (lard) ones are smaller, flatter, salty and crunchy, and have their own fan club.
The filled medialuna
In Argentina the medialuna is eaten plain, or filled with ham and cheese for lunch. But the combination that earned its place is the medialuna with dulce de leche: it is cut open and filled with dulce de leche. It is excessive, and that is exactly why it works.
How to order at the bar: "un café con tres medialunas" (a coffee with three medialunas) is the standard order. If you want the butter ones you say "de manteca", otherwise the waiter asks or brings the lard ones.
The medialunas at Patagonien
At Patagonien we have medialunas plain or filled with dulce de leche. They go perfectly with a milky coffee (a Latte on our menu) or a cortado (Espresso Macchiato). To learn how to order coffee the Argentine way, read our coffee article.
Prices and allergens are on the menu, under "Sweet specialities".
Frequently asked questions
Why are they sticky?
Because of the syrup. It is on purpose: the medialuna is brushed hot out of the oven with a syrup of sugar and water, and that gives it its shine and sweetness. Licking your fingers is normal.
What is the difference between a medialuna and a factura?
"Factura" is the general name for all Argentine sweet pastries: medialunas, vigilantes, cañoncitos, bolas de fraile, churros. The medialuna is a factura, the most popular one.
Can you eat them cold?
You can, but it is not the same. Freshly baked or just warm they are something else. If you have leftovers, ten seconds in the microwave brings them back to life.
Café con medialunas in Nuremberg
Come to Patagonien at Kressenstraße 33, order a coffee with two medialunas and understand why it is a ritual in Argentina. If it is your first time, one will not be enough.
