What are Empanadas?
Cousin to the Cornish pasty and the Indian samosa, the empanada is a hand-held stuffed pastry pocket. Empanadas are fixtures of various Latin American, Caribbean, Filipino, Spanish, and South American cuisines. The name “empanada” comes from empanar, a Spanish verb that means “to wrap or cover in bread.” The empanada is most typically formed by wrapping some type of filling in a folded-over circle of dough, crimping the edges shut, then baking or frying. Although there are slight differences in the pastry dough, the real diversity is in the variety of fillings that are found across cultures and cuisines. The filling, dough, and method of cooking vary not only by country, but also by geographic region and demographic within countries. For example, socioeconomic factors as well as geographical features may influence whether a region’s empanadas contain more potatoes or meat.
