Anempanada is a type of baked or friedturnover consisting ofpastry andfilling, common inSpain,Portugal, otherSouthern European countries,North African countries, West African countries (also known as Meatpie in Nigeria), South Asian countries,Latin American countries, and thePhilippines. The name comes from theSpanishempanar (to bread, i.e., to coat with bread),[1][2] and translates as 'breaded', that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, tomato, corn, or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying.
Entr' esses roubadores / viu jazer um vilão / desses mais malfeitores, / ũa perna na mão / de galinha, freame / que sacara com fame / entom dũ'empãada | que so um seu çurame/ comer quisera, / mais nom podera, / ca Deus nom queria.[6]In the midst of these robbers he saw lying there one of the most vicious of the rascals with a chicken leg in his hand. He had taken the cold morsel out of apasty and was about to eat it under the cover of his cape. However, he could not, for God prevented it.[7]
Argentine empanadas are often served during parties and festivals as a starter or main course. Shops specialize in freshly made empanadas, with many flavors and fillings.
Every region of Argentina has its own characteristic variant. Those of Salta (salteñas) are small, juicy and spicy, and contain potatoes, peppers and ground chili. These are also popular in neighbouringBolivia.
The Jujuy variant adds peas andgarlic. Its filling is calledrecado and therepulgue (method of closing the empanada)simbado. TheLa Rioja variant includes hard-boiled egg, red bell pepper, olives, and raisins. In Jujuy, there are two variants:criollas andarabes. Those of Santiago are considered especially juicy. Those ofCatamarca are similar but smaller.Tucumán is known for the empanada creole; an annual National Empanada festival is held in Famaillá. Those of Famaillá are made withmatambre and fried in good fat, competing with theentreveradas (mixed-grated), in which thematambre is mixed with chicken breast, garlic, ground chili, hard-boiled egg and cumin. Those ofMendoza are large and include olives and garlic. Those ofSan Juan have a higher proportion of onion, making them juicier and slightly sweet. Olives are also common and sometimes fat is also added to therecado or the dough. In San Luis they are big, seasoned with oregano and hot pepper, and kneaded with pork fat. InCórdoba, there is a version"Pastel Federal" "federal cake" orempanadas de Misia Manuelita.[15] These are famous because pears boiled in wine with cloves were added to their filling. Today they are not so sweet but it is tradition to sprinkle them with sugar. In Traslasierra they add carrots and potatoes. In the Litoral, where immigrants from various parts of the world predominated, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Corrientes fill them with river fish, such assurubí (catfish) ordorado, or with white sauce and Goya cheese. In the Cordillera of Patagonia, they are made with lamb and on the coast with seafood. InBuenos Aires, theCreole empanada is so important that it has been declared a Cultural Heritage of Food and Gastronomy by the Argentine Ministry of Culture.[16][15]
InBelize, empanadas are known aspanades. They are made withmasa (corn dough) and typically stuffed with fish, chicken, or beans.[17] They are usually deep-fried and served with a cabbage or salsa topping.Panades are frequently sold asstreet food.[18]
Traditional Chilean styles includeempanada de pino orde horno, filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, olives, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs and cooked in an oven, and cheese-filled empanadas with crimped edges which are deep-fried.[19]
A bowl of Colombian beef empanadas, served with salsa de ají
In Colombia, like in Venezuela, empanadas are made with corn and are typically filled with beef or chicken. They are sometimes served with salsa deají, a chilli sauce.
The traditional Ecuadorian style is called "empanada de viento" (literally, "wind empanada"). These are made from thin-rolled flour dough and filled with cheese, sometimes with onions mixed in, and deep-fried. The "viento" refers to the fact that as they fry they fill with air, leaving them hollow (but coated with cheese inside). They can be served sweet, sprinkled with sugar, or savory, with salsa de ají.
El Salvador is one of the few countries where empanadas are made with plantain rather than a flour-based dough wrapping.[20] A popular sweet variation,empanadas de platano, are torpedo-shaped dumplings of dough made from very ripe plantains, filled with vanilla custard, fried, then rolled in sugar.[21] They may alternatively have a filling made fromrefried beans rather than milk-based custard, but the flavour profile remains sweet rather than savoury.[22][23]
InFrance, the traditionalchaussons are made with a puff pastry dough filled with stew such asdaube orconfit, or a bechamel sauce mixed with ham and/or cheese.[24] They also exist in sweet version (seechausson aux pommes). They are half-moon shaped. If the shape is rectangular they receive the name offriand. One regional version is thepâté lorrain, filled with pork meat cooked with wine and onions. All these versions are baked.
The fried versions can be made of puff pastry or shortcrust pastry and are calledrissoles. The most famous is therissole de Coucy [fr], filled with meat or fish.
Galician empanada (Galician:empanada galega) is a variety of empanada and one of the most popular dishes ofGalician cuisine, commonly served in the towns ofGalicia during festivals andpilgrimages. It is prepared with a variety of fillings, including local seafood,sausage, and chicken. It can be served hot or cold. The origin of this preparation is determined in the preparation of cakes in embers that were initially made directly in embers until it evolved into a preparation in clay pots that give it its current characteristic round shape. The preparation is mainly homemade and is done in ovens, but nowadays, it is common to find it for sale in bakeries or street stalls.
The history of this dish in the region dates back to theVisigothic era in the 7th century, when rules for their preparation were decreed.[25] The first referenced empanada used mushroom or chicken fillings.[26] The empanada was an ideal food for travelers because it is a covered preparation that prevented contact of the interior with the dust of the roads. Galician empanadas appear sculpted as early as the 12th century on thePortico of Glory inSantiago de Compostela.[27]
InIndonesia, empanadas are known aspanada. They are especially popular inManado cuisine ofNorth Sulawesi where theirpanada has a thick crust made from fried bread, filled with spicycakalang fish (skipjack tuna) and chili,curry, potatoes orquail eggs. Thepanada in North Sulawesi was derived fromPortuguese influence in the region.[28] The dish is similar tokaripap andpastel, although they have a thinner crust compared to panada.
TheSicilian'mpanatigghi are stuffed, consisting of half-moon-shapedpanzerotti filled with a mixture of almonds, walnuts, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and minced beef.[29][30][31] These are typical ofModica, in the province ofRagusa, Sicily. They are also known by theitalianized wordimpanatiglie ordolce di carne (pasty of meat).[32]
They were probably introduced by the Spaniards during their rule in Sicily which took place in the sixteenth century; this is suggested by the etymology of the name which comes from the Spanishempanadas orempanadillas, as well as the somewhat unusual combination of meat and chocolate, which occurs occasionally in Spanish cuisine.[29][30][33] In previous centuries,game meat was used in'mpanatigghi; today beef is used.[29]
Empanadas are common in Mexico, although the dish there is noticeably different.[34] Mexican empanadas are made of fried corn pastemasa instead of flour, similar togorditas orhuaraches. They are usually filled with taco ingredients, such asrefried beans, boiled chicken, boiled chopped potato withwhite cheese, pork belly and ground beef, and are typically garnished with pickled cabbage salad, whitecheese powder,cream and spicy tomato sauce.[35] It is commonly served, along withflautas, as a cheap appetizer infair stands and other outdoor events due to its quick preparation.
Philippine fried empanadas, with ground beef, potatoes, carrots, cheese, and raisins in a thin, crisp crust
Filipino empanadas usually contain ground beef, pork or chicken, potatoes, chopped onions, and raisins (picadillo-style),[36] in a somewhat sweet, wheat flour bread. There are two kinds available: the baked sort and the flaky fried type. To lower costs, potatoes are often added as an extender, while another filling iskutsay (garlic chives).
Vigan Empanada has a pale color with thinner dough and is typically filled with greenpapaya or mixed withcabbage.
Batac Empanada has an orange-tinged color and is typically filled withmung bean sprouts and green papaya.
Empanadas in the northern part of the Philippines, particularly inIlocos, are known asIlocos Empanada orEmpanada de Ilocos. These empanadas are characterized by savory fillings, typically includinggreen papaya,mung beans, and sometimes choppedcabbage.[37] They are also commonly filled with Ilocanosausage, orVigan longganisa, and egg yolk. The empanada is deep-fried and made withglutinous rice paste (galapong) orrice flour combined withannatto, which gives the dough its distinct orange color and contributes to a crunchier texture.[38] Ilocos Empanadas can also be filled with mashedeggplant, scrambled eggs, andcabbage, which is calledpoqui poqui.[39]
Empanada de kaliskis (lit.'fish scale empanada'), a traditional empanada fromBulacan, Philippines, with acroissant-like flaky layered crust
InBulacan,empanada de kaliskis (lit.'fish scale empanada'), uniquely has a flaky multilayered crust resembling scales, hence the name. InCebu,empanadaDanao is a characteristically sweet-savory variant. It is filled with choppedchorizo andchayote, deep-fried, and dusted in white sugar before serving. InZamboanga,empanada Zamboangueño is filled with choppedsweet potato,garbanzo beans, and served with a sweet vinegar dipping sauce.[40]
Dessert versions of empanadas also exist, notably empanaditas, which commonly have a filling oflatik (coconut caramel), honey and nuts, or peanut butter.Kapampangan versions of empanaditas have ayema (custard) andcashew nut filling. InCebu,sinudlan empanada is a small deep-fried empanada withbukayo (sweetened coconut meat) filling.[40]
InPortugal, there are foods called "Pasteis de Bacalhau" and "Rissols." These fried treats are both made with fish, the pasteis being made with codfish and the rissoles being made with shrimp. These are delicacies known far and wide throughout the country.
InPuerto Rico, empanadas are made of a flour base and fried, and are known as empanadillas. Common fillings include meat such as ground beefpicadillo, pork, chicken, pizza[41] (marinara sauce and cheese), guava and cheese,jueyes (crab),chapín (Spotted trunkfish), rabbit, octopus, and much more depending on local cuisine.
TraditionalVenezuelan empanadas are made with ground corn dough, though modern versions are made with precooked corn. The dough may have a yellow color when toasted due to the addition ofannatto. The fillings are very diverse, with the most conventional being cheese,shredded beef, chicken,cazón (school shark) in theMargaritan Island region especially,[47][48] ham,black beans and cheese (commonly calleddominó) and even combinations of mollusks. The empanadas have a half-moon shape and are fried in oil. Sometimes, they may have more than one filling, such as inempanadas de pabellón,[49] which are made with a shredded beef filling (orcazón in the Margarita Island region), black beans, slices of fried plantain, and shredded white cheese.
^"Belizean Food".Belize.com. ITM Ltd.Archived from the original on May 27, 2024. RetrievedDecember 1, 2015.
^Kraig, Bruce; Sen, Colleen Taylor, eds. (2013).Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 72.ISBN978-1-59884-954-7.
^López Ferreiro.El Pórtico de la Gloria, Platerías y el Primitivo Altar Mayor de la catedral de Santiago (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Santiago de Compostela: Pico Sacro.