Empanadas: history, preparation, and cultural significance

Empanadas: Encapsulating the History Of the Original Hot Pocket

From jelly doughnuts to Pop Tarts, calzones to hot dogs, seemingly every culture has its 'filled' savory or sweet pastry of choice. The empanada has been described as a kind of small turnover or the Latin American version of the Eastern European pierogi. Comparisons have also been made with Indian samosas or British Cornish Pasties. The most common name used for the pastry is empanada but other names are empadas, empadaos, empadinhas, and pastels (Van Aken 2010). The empanada centers can be filled with seafood, meat, cheese, vegetables or fruit. The empanada likely has its origins in Spain and was exported to the New World by conquistadors, colonizers, and traders ("The empanada: A brief history," Mr. Empanada, 2010). To this day, the Empanada Festival is part of Galician culture. The pastry's name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, to coat with bread (La Empanada Gourmet, 2010).

Empanadas are often crescent-shaped. Their rounded sides are crimped, and the pastry is usually designed to be eaten in a bite or two. Bocaditos or empanaditas are appetizer-size empanadas, about the size of a single ravioli, and can be eaten in-hand in one bite. Occasionally, larger empanadas are created, as in the case of the Empanada Gallega, a large, traditional pork and pepper Spanish pie designed to feed several people. "They vary in size from Colombia's two inches long caucana, a favorite cocktail party tidbit stuffed with pipian paste of crushed peanuts and hot peppers, to Bolivia's six inches long saltena, stuffed with cubed beef and potatoes and stinging peppers, a meal in itself" (Van Aken 2010).

While fillings such as ground beef, fish, or cheese and chilies, are most common, other stuffing such as corn, spinach, boiled eggs and raisins are occasionally used. Dessert empanadas have grown in popularity, which are filled with fruit and mild cheeses -- even with chocolate. "Whatever filling is used, though, it needs to be highly flavorful, as only a little bit is used in each empanada" ("Empanadas," Practically edible, 2010).

The empanada crust, which is sometimes seasoned, is usually made from wheat flour or cornmeal, along with salt, water and a solid lipid such as lard, shortening, or butter ("Empanadas," Practically edible, 2010). Cumin is a popular seasoning for the dough in Buenos Aires and hot chili pepper is often used in Peruvian empanadas ("The empanada: A brief history," Mr. Empanada, 2010). The textures of brands of pre-made empanada dough differ between regions today. For example, the Argentinean La Saltena is almost like phyllo pastry while commercial Mexican empanada dough is very solid, almost clay-like.

Preparation methods for empanadas are as diverse as empanada fillings. Empanadas can be fried, deep fried, or baked. The fried ones must be eaten hot right away while those that are baked can be reheated eaten cold. Because of the greater portability of baked empanadas, fried ones are usually made for special occasions, while baked ones are more common as lunch food. Traditionally, empanada ovens were made of mud with domed shapes in Argentina and other areas of rural Latin America, although they can also be baked in conventional ovens.