Empanada
An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spain, Portugal, other Southern European countries, North African countries, West African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American countries, and the Philippines. The name comes from the Spanish empanar, 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.
Origins
The origin of empanadas is unknown, but they are thought to have originated in 7th century Galicia, a region in northwest Spain.An empanada is mentioned in the Cantigas de Santa Maria 57:VI :
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.Rabbinic Jewish books from the same period, including the Novellae of Asher ben Jehiel, the Novellae of Yom Tov of Seville, the Orchot Chayyim of Aaron ben Jacob and the Arba'ah Turim of Jacob ben Asher mention "inpanada" and "panada" as bread products containing fat, meat or fish on the inside.
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 a pasty and was about to eat it under the cover of his cape. However, he could not, for God prevented it.
A cookbook published in Catalan in 1520, Llibre del Coch by Robert de Nola, mentions empanadas filled with seafood in the recipes for Catalan, Italian, French, and Arabian food.
By country and region
Argentina
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 are small, juicy and spicy, and contain potatoes, peppers and ground chili. These are also popular in neighbouring Bolivia.
The Jujuy variant adds peas and garlic. Its filling is called recado and the repulgue simbado. The La Rioja variant includes hard-boiled egg, red bell pepper, olives, and raisins. In Jujuy, there are two variants: criollas and arabes. Those of Santiago are considered especially juicy. Those of Catamarca 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 with matambre and fried in good fat, competing with the entreveradas, in which the matambre is mixed with chicken breast, garlic, ground chili, hard-boiled egg and cumin. Those of Mendoza are large and include olives and garlic. Those of San Juan have a higher proportion of onion, making them juicier and slightly sweet. Olives are also common and sometimes fat is also added to the recado or the dough. In San Luis they are big, seasoned with oregano and hot pepper, and kneaded with pork fat. In Córdoba, there is a version "Pastel Federal" "federal cake" or empanadas de Misia Manuelita. 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 as surubí or dorado, or with white sauce and Goya cheese. In the Cordillera of Patagonia, they are made with lamb and on the coast with seafood. In Buenos Aires, the Creole empanada is so important that it has been declared a Cultural Heritage of Food and Gastronomy by the Argentine Ministry of Culture.
Belize
In Belize, empanadas are known as panades. They are made with masa and typically stuffed with fish, chicken, or beans. They are usually deep-fried and served with a cabbage or salsa topping. Panades are frequently sold as street food.Brazil
In Brazil, a pastel consists of half-circle or rectangle-shaped thin-crust pies with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil. The result is a crispy, brownish fried pie. The most common fillings are ground meat, mozzarella, Catupiry, heart of palm, codfish, cream cheese, chicken and small shrimp. Pastéis with sweet fillings such as guava paste with Minas cheese, banana and chocolate also exist.Chile
Traditional Chilean styles include empanada de pino or de 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.Colombia
Colombian empanadas are a traditional type of fried pastry popular throughout Colombia. They are typically made with a cornmeal-based dough and filled with a variety of ingredients, including seasoned meats, potatoes, rice, and vegetables. The empanadas are often deep-fried until golden and crispy, giving them a distinct texture and flavor.Empanadas are commonly served as street food, appetizers, or snacks, and are frequently accompanied by lime wedges and ají, a spicy Colombian sauce made with chili peppers, herbs, and vinegar. The use of cornmeal distinguishes Colombian empanadas from similar pastries in other Latin American countries, which may use wheat flour.
Different regions of Colombia have their own variations of empanadas. For example, in the Andean region, fillings often include potatoes and meat, while in coastal areas, seafood empanadas are more common. Colombian empanadas are a staple in Colombian cuisine and are often enjoyed during festivals, family gatherings, and casual meals.
Ecuador
The traditional Ecuadorian style is called "empanada de viento". 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. 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. 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. They may alternatively have a filling made from refried beans rather than milk-based custard, but the flavour profile remains sweet rather than savoury.France
In France, the traditional chaussons are made with a puff pastry dough filled with stew such as daube or confit, or a bechamel sauce mixed with ham and/or cheese. They also exist in sweet version. They are half-moon shaped. If the shape is rectangular they receive the name of friand. One regional version is the pâté 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 called rissoles. The most famous is the, filled with meat or fish.
Galicia
Galician empanada is a variety of empanada and one of the most popular dishes of Galician cuisine, commonly served in the towns of Galicia during festivals and pilgrimages. 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 the Visigothic era in the 7th century, when rules for their preparation were decreed. The first referenced empanada used mushroom or chicken fillings. 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 the Portico of Glory in Santiago de Compostela.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, empanadas are known as panada. They are especially popular in Manado cuisine of North Sulawesi where their panada has a thick crust made from fried bread, filled with spicy cakalang fish and chili, curry, potatoes or quail eggs. The panada in North Sulawesi was derived from Portuguese influence in the region. The dish is similar to Curry puff#Indonesia and pastel, although they have a thinner crust compared to panada.Italy
The Sicilian 'mpanatigghi are stuffed, consisting of half-moon-shaped panzerotti filled with a mixture of almonds, walnuts, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and minced beef. These are typical of Modica, in the province of Ragusa, Sicily. They are also known by the italianized word impanatiglie or dolce di carne.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 Spanish empanadas or empanadillas, as well as the somewhat unusual combination of meat and chocolate, which occurs occasionally in Spanish cuisine. In previous centuries, game meat was used in 'mpanatigghi; today beef is used.