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Empanada
In Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Philippines, an empanada (Portuguese empada- a different dish) is essentially a stuffed pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Usually the empanada is made by folding a thin circular-shaped dough patty over the stuffing, creating its typical semicircular shape. Empanadas are also known by a wide variety of regional names (see the entries for the individual countries below).
It is likely that the empanadas in the Americas were originally from Galicia, Spain, where an empanada is prepared similar to a pie that is cut in pieces, making it a portable and hearty meal for working people. The Galician empanada is usually prepared with cod fish or chicken. Due to the large number of Galician immigrants in Latin America, the empanada gallega has also become very popular in that region. Middle Eastern cuisine to this day has similar foods, like simbusak from Iraq.
Varieties by country
Argentina
Argentine empanadas are a common dish served at parties, as a starter, as a main course or in festivals. Shops specialize in freshly-made empanadas, with many flavors and fillings.
The filling usually consists primarily of beef (cubed or ground depending on the region), perhaps spiced with cumin and paprika, and filled with onion, green olive, boiled egg, and even raisins. Potato is often added as a filler in poorer areas. Empanadas can be baked (more common in restaurants and cities) or fried (more common in rural areas and at festivals). They may also contain cheese, ham and cheese, chicken, fish, humita (sweetcorn with white sauce) or spinach; a fruit filling is used to create a dessert empanada. Empanadas of the interior regions can be spiced with peppers.
In restaurants where several types are served, a repulgue, or pattern, is added to the pastry fold. These patterns, which can be quite elaborate, distinguish the filling. In modern restaurants in Argentina, adventurous new fillings are being tried, with the traditional recipe being reinvented by modern chefs.
In Argentina, due to the large number of Galician immigrants, the "empanada gallega" is very popular.
Bolivia
Bolivian Empanadas are made with beef or chicken, and usually contain potatoes, peas and carrots, as well as a quail's egg, an olive, or raisins. They are customarily seamed along the top of the pastry and are generally sweeter than the Chilean variety, though there are levels of spicy (non sweetness). In the afternoons, fried cheese empanadas are served, brushed with sugar icing.
Brazil
In Brazil, empadas, or empadinhas are a common ready-to-go lunch item available at fast-food counters. A wide variety of different fillings and combinations are available, with the most common being chicken, palmito (heart of palm), cheese, shrimp, and beef.
The filling of empadinhas often have olives or olive pieces mixed in. Many people see this as a crucial aspect of the food, originating the expression "olive in the empadinha" for something important, desirable or beneficial.
The cheese empadinha is usually open, resembling a portuguese Pastel de Belem
Brazil (second view)
Though the similar name suggests related dishes, Brazilian empadinhas are very different from empanadas, and probably have distinct origins - possibly deriving from Portuguese empadao, which resembles a tarte.
Empanadas (Argentinian or Chilean style) are also available at a few Brazilian restaurants, never sold as empadinhas, and are regarded as totally different dishes.
The dough used in empadinhas is based on flour and butter (or margarine), and is closer to the French pate brisee (used in tartes) than the dough used to make empanadas. Empadinhas are baked in small round metal moulds, about 5 cm diameter each. The crust crumbles when pressed, different from empanadas, which are usually firmer.
As noted above, empadinhas usually come with chicken filling, but also with beef, heart of palm, shrimp, cheese , dried tomatoes, codfish, etc. They are widely available in Brazil, and commonly found in bakeries, luncheonettes, and gas stations; there are even some fast-food chains specialized in empadinhas in most major Brazilian cities.
Usually cheese-filled "empadinhas" are opened, but you can find them closed in some places.
Chile
Chilean. The chilean variety of the empanadas has a wide range of fillings, but there are generally 2 main categories, one is baked and usually filled with "pino", and the other one is fried and usually filled with cheese. The fillings for the empanadas usually contain cheese and/or different types of seafood, for example mussels, crab, and locos (Chilean abalone).
Chileans consider the Argentine filling to be seco, or dry, but since beef is more expensive in Chile than in Argentina, Chileans have become more accustomed to the higher onion ratio.
The most popular empanada filling is pino, the traditional Chilean filling, what sets it apart from other Latin American versions of empanadas. It consists of beef, onions, shortening, raisins, black olives, hardboiled eggs and aji pepper, the ingredient that gives it a zesty flavor.
Empanadas are consumed during the 18 September national celebrations in addition to being available daily on the streets, and in small shops.
Colombia
Colombian empanadas can be either baked or fried. The ingredients used in the filling can vary according to the region, but it will usually contain components such as salt, rice, beef or ground beef, boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and peas. For example, in the coastal region of Colombia, near Barranquilla, or Cartagena, and Santa Marta, empanadas are all filled with some kind of fish or shellfish. Shrimp, lobster, trout or clam emapandas can be easily found because of the huge and booming fishery industry along the Colombian coast. In the department of Valle del Cauca, they are generally filled with ground meat, yellow potato or Criole potato. They are also served with peas, tomate, cilantro, and many other spices. In the city of Medellin, Chorizo filled empanadas can be easily found, because of the city's love of pork and chorizo meats. In the Amazonic regions of Colombia, such as the area of the city of Leticia, many sweet empanadas can be found, because of the high demand and high supply of tropical fruits of the region. Many of these empanadas are filled with some sort of jam consisting of these types of tropical fruits, such as lulo, zapote and many more which can all be found in the Amazon regions of Colombia. However, radical variations can also be found . The pastry is mostly corn-based, although potato flour is also used.
Colombian empanadas are usually served with Aji (also called Picante by some people), a sauce made of cilantro, green onions, red or black pepper, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice. Bottled hot sauces are also used to add flavor to the empanadas. The sauce is normally prepared with a spicy kick, balancing very well with the nutty, neutral of the meat, potato and spices that make up the typical Colombian empanada. Colombian empanadas are also known to contain carrots and chicken. Another variety include Stuffed Potatoes (Papas rellenas) which is a variant that has potato in the pastry instead of maize dough and have round shapes.
In the Cauca department, the pipian empanadas are made with peanuts and a special type of potato called "Papa amarilla" due to its yellow color. In Colombia, empanadas can be easily found on street corners, as it is one of the most famous and popular foods in the general public, followed by Arepa, and Pandebono. Many of the empanadas that are found in Colombia were/are homemade, and have been brought down through generations, eventually turning into an national obsession. One of the most famous bakeries in the Republic, more specifically based in Cali, Colombia, called 'El Molino' introduced the Spinach Empanada, which is an empanada filled with both green spinach and cottage or Riccotta cheese. In the poorer areas of Colombia, the producers of these popular empanadas are made with the same spinach, but use Queso Campesino, Queso Paisa of Medellin, or Mozzerella cheese instead of cottage or Ricotta cheese. Emapandas in Colombia are a favorite in most of the bigger cities, such as Cali, Bogota, or Medellin. Nowadays, Colombian empanadas are one of the most ordered, and one of the most favorable side orders in many of the restaurants in Colombia.
Costa Rica
Costa Rican empanadas are either filled with seasoned meats or cheese, beans, cubed potato stew folded and then fried. These empanadas are normally made with corn dough. There is another version made with wheat dough and is typically sweet and baked, filled with guava, pineapple, chiverre or any other jelly or dulce de leche. Another popular version are empanadas that have been made with sweet plantain dough, filled with seasoned beans and cheese, and then fried.
Cuba
Cuban empanadas are typically filled with seasoned meats (usually ground beef or chicken), folded into dough, and deep fried. Empanadas can also be made with cheese, guayaba, or a mixture of both.
These are not to be confused with Cuban pastelitos, which are very similar but use a lighter pastry dough and may or may not be fried. Cubans eat empanadas at any meal, but they usually consume them during lunch or as a snack.
Dominican Republic
Similar in their preparation (though often fried) and method of consumption to Cuban empanadas. More modern versions, promoted by some specialty food chains, include stuffing like pepperoni and cheese, conch, Danish cheese and chicken, etc. A variety also exists in which the dough is made from cassava flour, called catibias. Adobo seasoning, diced boiled eggs and raisins can be added as way to provide additional variety and enhance the flavor of the meat filling.
Ecuador
Very similar to those of their neighboring country, Colombia, Ecuadorian empanadas are made of corn seasoning or flour. Their components may include peas, potatoes, steamed meat known as carne guisada, or many other varieties of vegetables. The many types of Ecuadorian empanadas include empanadas de arroz (rice empanadas), which are deep fried for added crispiness, and flour empanadas or empanadas de verde which are empanadas made from plantain. Empanadas are also followed by aji (a type of dipping sauce for added flavor), which varies by region. The major components of "aji", or "picante", as it is also known, are cilantro, juices from red peppers (for a spicy kick), lemon, Spanish, red, or green onion, and sometimes chopped tomato. In la costa , or the shore region of Ecuador, aji may contain only onions, chopped tomatoes, and lemon juice. and fruit empanadas; with such fillings as banana, apples, and pumpkin.
El Salvador
Salvadorenos often use the term "empanadas" to mean an appetizer or dessert made of plantains stuffed with sweet cream. The plantains are then lightly fried and served warm with a sprinkle of sugar.
Haiti
In Haiti, a meat-filled pastry similar to the empanada but with a thicker crust called a pate is regularly eaten on festive occasions. It is essentially a meat-filled turnover. The dough is often filled with ground beef or chicken and topped with spices. The dough is then sealed and baked.
Jamaica
Jamaican patties are also known as empanadas. Some contain either chicken or beef filling, but can be all-vegetable, and very spicy.
Mexico
Mexican empanadas can be a dessert or breakfast item and tend to contain a variety of sweetened fillings; these include pumpkin, yams, sweet potato, and cream, as well as a wide variety of fruit fillings. Meat, cheese, and vegetable fillings are less common in some states, but still well-known and eaten fairly regularly. Depending on local preferences and particular recipes the dough can be based on wheat or corn. The state of Hidalgo is famous for its empanadas, or pastes, as they are locally known. These trace their origins from the Cornish pasties imported by British miners. In Chiapas, empanadas filled with chicken or cheese are popular dishes for breakfast, supper or even as snacks.
Panama
Empanadas are usually filled with ground beef but sometimes may also be filled with shredded chicken, white cheese or yellow cheese. They are made of flour or cornmeal and usually deep fried, but can also be baked. In the city of Colon, due to a heavy caribbean influence, they also fill it with a plantain puree, bake it, and call it "plantain tart". They are smaller than their counterparts elsewhere in Latin America and are considered snack, appetizer, or luncheon food.
Peru
Peruvian empanadas are similar to Argentine empanadas, but slightly smaller. They are usually baked. The most common variety contains ground beef seasoned with cumin, hard-boiled egg, onion, olives and raisin; the dough is usually sprinkled with icing sugar. They are commonly sprinkled with lime juice before eating. Also very popular are cheese-filled (or cheese-and-ham-filled) ones.
Recently, "modern" empanadas, with a variety of filling have appeared, e.g.: chicken-and-mushrooms, shrimp or "aji de gallina".
In southern Peru, you will also find "Saltenas" (Argentinian empanadas) or "Bolivianas" (very similar to Saltenasa).
Philippines
Filipino empanadas usually contain ground beef or chicken meat, potato, chopped onion, and raisins (somewhat similar to the Cuban "picadillo") in a sweetish wheat flour dough. Some Filipinos are not partial to the sweetish flavour notes and prefer empanadas that are closer to the Hispanic versions. There are doughy baked versions, as well as flaky fried versions. Often, to lower costs, potatoes are added as a filler, and olives-- relatively expensive in the Philippines-- are omitted.
However, empanadas in the northern Ilocos region are very different. These empanadas are made of a savoury filling of green papaya and, upon request, chopped Ilocano sausage (longganisa) and/or an egg yolk. Rather than the soft, sweet dough favoured in the Tagalog region, the dough used to enclose the filling is thin and crisp, mostly because Ilocano empanada uses rice flour, coloured orange with achuete (annatto), and is deep-fried rather than baked.
Portugal
In Portugal, empadas are a common option for a small meal, found universally in patisseries and often being chosen as a good partner to a quick coffee. They are usually about the size of a golf ball, though size and shape changes from place to place or even from establishment to establishment. The most common fillings are chicken, beef, tuna, codfish and, more recently, mushrooms and vegetables, though this also varies from place to place. They aren't usually served hot.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican cuisine has several dishes related to the empanada. The closest to those of neighboring countries is called pastelillo, and made of flour dough that is fried. They can be filled with ground beef or chicken. However, the word 'empanada' refers to a different dish more closely related to pasteles, but fried instead of boiled and with simpler fillings. Also, 'empanadilla,' which is literally 'small empanada,' is the Puerto Rican word for turnover.
United States
Mexican empanadas are commonly eaten in the United States, especially in the Southwest. However, the Taco Bell chain serves the Caramel Apple Empanada, a popular dessert item that is basically an "Americanized" version of the empanada, more closely resembling an "original" (1970s-80s era) McDonald's Apple Pie than anything else. It consists of sweet dough, deep-fried and filled with a gooey apple filling.
In the southeastern United States, there is a similarly prepared dessert often referred to as "fried pies". They typically consist of a pasty filling made from re-constituted dried fruit such as apples, apricots, or peaches. The filling is placed in a dough circle, folded over in half, and then fried.
Uruguay
Uruguayan empanadas are generally made out of wheat flour and can be fried or baked. There were introduced by the Spanish (mainly from Galicia) and Italian settlers in the middle of the 20th century. Argentine influence over the region has enriched the national cuisine by mixing new flavors and recipes.
The most common empanada is of ham and cheese, but there are also other kinds, such as those containing beef, olives, fish and spicy stuffing.
The most famous sweet empanadas in Uruguay are those that combine dulce de leche, quince and chocolate covered by sugar or apple jam.
Spain
In Spain empanadas are made from a rather thin, pliant, but resilient wheat pastry. The filling varies, but tuna, beef or chicken are common, usually with tomato puree and onions in the mix. Spanish empanadas are baked.
Venezuela
Venezuelan empanadas use corn flour based dough and are deep fried. The stuffing varies according to region; most common are the cheese and ground beef empanadas. Other types use fish, "caraotas" or black beans, oyster, clams and other types of seafood popular in the coastal areas, especially in Margarita Island.
See also
List of Brazilian dishes
Cuisine of Argentina
Calzone
Samosa
Simbusak
Pasty
Turnover (food)
External links
How to Make Empanadas - Step-by-step guide with pictures on how to make empanadas.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Empanada
