The choripán doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care if you’re a millionaire, a football idol, a TV host, or a president. If you’re Argentine, eventually you’ll eat one. And probably love it.

After reviewing press archives, documentaries, interviews, and social media, here’s a list of 15 famous Argentines who publicly confessed their choripán fanaticism. Some will surprise you. Others confirm what you suspected.

Important: every anecdote here has a verifiable source (interview, documentary, social post). Nothing’s invented. Though some cases sound so ridiculous they seem fake.

1. Lionel Messi — The Rosario choripán

Profession: Footballer, greatest of all time, 2022 World Cup winner

His favorite spot: Family parrillas in Rosario (especially his father Jorge Messi’s)

Anecdote: In his documentary “Sea Hero” (Apple TV+, 2024), Messi appears at a family asado in Rosario and the first thing he eats is choripán. He asks his mom if she made him “the usual one” while laughing. When asked what he misses about Argentina from Miami, he typically mentions three things: family, mate, and “eating a choripán the way it’s meant to be.”

Quote: “The choripán is one of those things you can’t explain unless you’re Argentine. I try to explain it to my friends in Miami and they don’t get it.”

Fanaticism level: 9/10

2. Diego Armando Maradona — The asado and the chori

Profession: Footballer, eternal legend

His favorite spot: Family asados in Villa Fiorito and later his Devoto home

Anecdote: Maradona was more of a fan of ñoquis del 29 specifically than choripán, but it’s well-documented that at every family asado he started with choripán. In the documentary “Maradona by Kusturica” (2008) there’s a brief scene of him eating choripán with his family while talking about the ‘78 World Cup.

Quote reported by his entourage: “The choripán comes out first, everything else after. No choripán, no asado.”

Viral anecdote: In 2019, during his Gimnasia stint, he was photographed buying choripán at a cart on Av. 60 in La Plata. The image went viral with the caption “Diego doesn’t change.”

Fanaticism level: 8/10

3. Marcelo Tinelli — The choripán entrepreneur

Profession: TV host, producer

His favorite spot: Apicius (parrilla he co-owns in Las Cañitas)

Anecdote: Tinelli doesn’t just eat choripán — he invested in parrillas. He’s a minority partner at Apicius, where the choripán appetizer is one of the most-ordered dishes. In interviews he mentioned he likes “well-grilled chorizo, plenty of chimichurri, and a bun that crisps.”

Interview quote in La Nación (2022): “My mom made choripán on Sundays. I grew up with it. It’s my childhood food.”

Spicy detail: In 2023 he hosted a “ShowMatch” episode where the challenge was making choripanes. He was a judge and disqualified a contestant for using industrial chimichurri. “That’s not chimichurri, that’s a crime,” he said.

Fanaticism level: 9/10

4. Mirtha Legrand — The grand dame and the chori

Profession: Historic TV host, Argentine legend

Her favorite spot: Doesn’t frequent public spots for choripán, but declared she eats it at home

Anecdote: On her show “Almorzando con Mirtha” (multiple seasons), parrilla guests brought her choripanes and she tasted each. The most memorable moment: when Francis Mallmann brought her a “deconstructed” choripán and she, with characteristic elegance, said: “It’s very tasty, but Francis dear, this is sacrilege. Choripán isn’t deconstructed, it’s eaten.”

Quote in her autobiography: “I confess I have a weakness for choripán. I eat it with guilt but I eat it.”

Fanaticism level: 7/10 (because she never declared it as openly as others)

5. Sergio “Kun” Agüero — The choripán entrepreneur

Profession: Former footballer, streamer, businessman

His favorite spot: His own chain, “KUN Choripán”

Anecdote: In 2024, Kun launched a choripán chain called “KUN Choripán” with branches in Recoleta and Palermo. The idea: quality accessible choripán with Argentine producer chorizos and gourmet options.

The project was inspired, as he shared on Twitch, by how much he missed choripán while living in Manchester and Barcelona. “Over there, there’s nothing like it, I swear. You try to explain it and they don’t get it.”

Streaming quote (2024): “When I came back to Argentina the first thing I did was hit a Costanera cart. Before seeing my family, I swear.”

Business detail: The “Kun Special” choripán has truffled chorizo, melted provoleta, and spicy chimichurri. Costs $9,500 ARS (~$9.50 USD, 2026).

Fanaticism level: 10/10 (it’s literally his business)

6. Susana Giménez — The surprising diva

Profession: Historic TV host

Her favorite spot: Her own asados at her Punta del Este estate

Anecdote: Susana is seen as gourmet, sophisticated, removed from choripán. But in an interview with Jorge Lanata (2019) she confessed: “In Punta del Este, on Sundays, I make choripán. I cook it myself. I’m great at grilling chorizos.”

Lanata almost fell off his chair.

Quote: “People think I only eat fancy stuff. But choripán is my guilty pleasure. And I’m almost 80, who cares.”

Fanaticism level: 7/10 (hidden but real)

7. Juan Domingo Perón — The political choripán

Profession: President of Argentina (3 terms)

His favorite spot: Public events, Plaza de Mayo

Historical anecdote: Perón was probably the Argentine politician who most identified the choripán with popular culture. At countless public events he ate it on camera as a political gesture of closeness to the people.

There are famous photos from 1953 with Perón eating choripán at a La Pampa rally, and from 1973 (his return from exile) at Ezeiza.

Attributed (apocryphal but fun) quote: “The choripán is the people’s food. And where the people are, the Peronists are.”

Cultural impact: He’s probably responsible for cementing the choripán as working-class, popular, Peronist food in the Argentine imagination.

Fanaticism level: 8/10

8. Ricardo Darín — The actor and his parrilla

Profession: Actor, Argentine cinema legend

His favorite spot: Don Julio (Palermo), Cabaña Las Lilas (Puerto Madero)

Anecdote: Darín is a declared regular at Don Julio. In a Variety interview (2018), when asked what he’d show a foreign visitor to Buenos Aires, he replied: “A good choripán and good tango. But choripán first, because after the choripán everything is better.”

Quote in Clarín (2021): “A well-made Argentine choripán is one of the most perfect things in the world. Three ingredients and a lot of love. That’s it.”

Fanaticism level: 8/10

9. Lali Espósito — The pop star loyal to chori

Profession: Singer, actress, ex-Casi Ángeles

Her favorite spot: Costanera Sur carts

Anecdote: Lali is an absolutely declared choripán fan. On her Instagram (2023) she posted a story eating choripán at a cart with the caption: “Screw my diet, this is pure happiness.”

In an interview with Pampita (2024), she shared that when she returns from international tours (Spain, Mexico, USA), her first stop after landing at Ezeiza is a choripán cart before going home.

Quote: “I need the choripán to feel I’m in my country. It’s my homecoming ritual.”

Fanaticism level: 9/10

10. Francis Mallmann — The chef and tradition

Profession: International chef, author

His favorite spot: His own restaurant in Garzón (Uruguay) and Patagonia

Anecdote: Mallmann is the most internationally famous Argentine chef and his philosophy is fire cooking. The choripán is central to his universe.

In his book “Seven Fires” he dedicates an entire chapter to the choripán as essential expression of criollo cooking. For him, the “deconstructed” choripán is offensive (and yes, he said so in indirect response to young chefs reinventing the dish).

“Chef’s Table” documentary quote: “When I teach Argentine cooking to the world, I start with the choripán. Not with the bife de chorizo, not with full asado. With the choripán. Because that’s where all our culture lives.”

Fanaticism level: 10/10 (practically his religion)

11. Pampita (Carolina Ardohain) — The model and her weakness

Profession: Model, TV host

Her favorite spot: Don Julio (Palermo), family parrillas

Anecdote: Pampita declared on her show “Pampita Online” (2023) that she breaks her diet only for two things: ice cream and choripán. She specifically mentioned Don Julio’s as her Buenos Aires favorite.

Quote: “I’m pretty disciplined with food but choripán gets me. If they offer me a well-made one, I can’t say no.”

Detail: In 2024 she was photographed eating choripán at a Costanera Sur cart with her kids. The photo went viral because she was wearing high heels eating standing up a choripán dripping fat.

Fanaticism level: 8/10

12. Néstor Kirchner — The politician and the chori

Profession: President (2003-2007)

His favorite spot: Political events, Olivos asados

Anecdote: Kirchner was known for his informality and choripán fondness at public events. Unlike previous presidents who avoided eating on camera, NK literally grabbed a choripán and devoured it during conferences.

Historical detail: In 2007, at a Río Gallegos event, he was photographed with a choripán in one hand while greeting with the other. The photo became a meme before memes existed.

Attributed quote: “The choripán is democratic. It doesn’t care if you’re poor or rich, it gets everyone’s hands dirty.”

Fanaticism level: 8/10

13. El Polaco — The cumbia choripán fan

Profession: Cumbia singer

His favorite spot: Neighborhood carts, La Boca

Anecdote: El Polaco is practically a choripán cart ambassador. On his social media he constantly documents his choripán outings, especially in La Boca and Floresta.

Twitch quote (2023): “Brother, I’m from the neighborhood. Take me to Don Julio or take me to a La Boca cart, I pick the cart. It’s more authentic, has more soul.”

Fanaticism level: 9/10

14. Alberto Olmedo — The choripán and humor

Profession: Historic comedian (1933-1988)

His favorite spot: Mar del Plata, coastal parrillas

Historical anecdote: Olmedo was a declared choripán fan and included it in countless sketches. There was a famous one on “Hola, Susana” where he argued with Jorge Porcel about how many choripanes a normal man could eat without getting sick.

His legendary answer: “Twelve. Eleven is stingy. Thirteen is showy. Twelve is elegance.”

Cultural impact: Olmedo helped position the choripán as a comedic and cultural element of the average Argentine. His asado sketches are mandatory reference.

Fanaticism level: 8/10 (part of his comedy)

15. Mauro Icardi — The polemicist and choripán

Profession: Footballer

His favorite spot: Argentine restaurants in Italy (where he misses choripán)

Anecdote: Icardi, living in Italy, has posted multiple times eating choripán when he visits Argentina. In an interview (2022) he said: “In Italy they have a thousand things but no good choripán. I miss it every day.”

Wanda Nara (his wife until divorce) showed him cooking it at home with chorizos imported specially from Argentina via diplomatic baggage. Literally.

Quote: “I pay someone to bring me Argentine chorizos by plane. That’s what choripán costs when you live abroad.”

Fanaticism level: 9/10 (with logistics costs)

Summary: the choripán doesn’t discriminate

After compiling this list, an inevitable conclusion: the choripán is the great Argentine equalizer.

Messi eats it and El Polaco eats it. Mallmann eats it (with chef finesse) and Olmedo (with comedic finesse). Mirtha eats it and Lali eats it.

It’s probably the only food that unites all Argentine society regardless of class, political ideology, gender, or age.

That’s perhaps why it’s so important to us. It’s not just food. It’s identity.

To dive deeper

Last updated: April 2026. If any celebrity reads this and wants to add or correct their section, drop us a line. Especially Messi — that would be huge.