The cuisine of Argentina is distinctive in South America because of its strong resemblance to Italian, Spanish, French and other European cuisines rather than the other Latin American cuisines. Indigenous gastronomies derived from groups such as the Quechua, Mapuche, and Guarani have also played a role.Another determining factor in Argentine cuisine is that Argentina is one of the world's major food producers. It is a major producer of meat (especially beef), wheat, corn, milk, beans, and since the 1970s, soybeans. Given the country's vast production of beef, red meat is an especially common part of the Argentine diet (in many periods of Argentine history the annual consumption of beef has been above 100 kg per capita and during the 19th century, neared 180 kg per capita.) Similarly, the enormous quantities of domestically-harvested wheat have made white bread (made with wheat flour) the most commonly found on the table. This explains, to a great deal, the popularity of wheat-based Italian dishes, as well as the fact that Argentine pizza uses more dough than Italian pizza. It is said that the higher altitude gives the crust a puffier texture. While the italian pizza has a thinner and harder crust. Artgentina's influencers from Europe really helped shape their comida customs.Besides some regional disparities addressed in this article, there exist at least two other comparisons which are important in understanding Argentine cuisine: the first distinguishes a cuisine that is essentially urban and cosmopolitan (highly influenced by the "globalization" of food and eating patterns) from a more traditional, idiosyncratic rural cuisine. The second comparison is made on the basis of socioeconomic differences.While certain foods can be found in all corners of the country (Asado -"barbecued meat"-; dulce de leche; empanadas; yerba mate in addition to all sorts of Italian, Spanish, and French dishes) one can map out four broad culinary regions based on major trends.