Empanada

Empanadas always start in more or less the same way: with a large piece of rolled out dough made with fat; in the case of Argentina, this consists of lard. Circles of the same size are cut out of this dough. The filling is then placed in the middle of each circle, folded over, and the edges carefully crimped. A Chilean baker’s method will not be very different from a Columbian or Galician baker, the Galician’s being renowned for their empanadas and empanadillas, meaning small empanadas. The Spanish word “empanar” means to wrap or coat in bread, thus giving the name empanada, meaning wrapped in bread.

There are many variations of the filling, because it is a dish where you can really let your imagination go. In Latin America, Argentinean empanadas are generally considered the best, undoubtedly because Argentina is generally renowned for its food: grilled meat, and more generally, for the quality of the meat itself. It goes without saying that the Argentinean empanada is stuffed with ground meat, raisins, olives, and onions, and spiced with cumin, pepper and paprika. The combinations are however infinite: chicken; spinach; jam; potatoes; humid (made with fresh corn and onions), etc. Spanish empanadas differentiate themselves by being filled with tuna, to which is added bell peppers, onions, garlic, and tomato purée. Dried cod is sometimes used in place of the tuna.

This meat-filled turnover is usually baked in the oven, like in Argentina, and sometimes fried, as they do in Chile, Columbia and Venezuela. Short crust pastry is sometimes preferred over bread dough. Thanks to its nutritional value empanadas make for a well-balanced dish, and easily took over the fast food market, right alongside kebabs and French sandwiches.