Empanada facts for kids
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| Type | Pastry |
|---|---|
| Course | Appetizer |
| Place of origin | Spain |
| Region or state | Galicia |
| Associated national cuisine | Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Sicilian, Latin American, Indonesian, Filipino |
| Serving temperature | Hot or cold |
| Main ingredients | Meat, cheese, corn, or other ingredients |
| Variations | Pastel, pasty |
An empanada is a tasty baked or fried turnover. It has a pastry shell wrapped around a yummy filling. Empanadas are popular in Southern Europe, Latin America, and the Philippines.
The name "empanada" comes from the Galician word empanar. This means "enbreaded," or wrapped in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling. Common fillings include meat, cheese, tomato, or corn. After filling, they are cooked by baking or frying.
Contents
Where did empanadas come from?
No one knows exactly where empanadas first appeared. But many people think they started in Galicia. This region is in northwest Spain. A cookbook from 1520, called Llibre del Coch, mentions empanadas. It describes them filled with seafood.
Empanadas around the world
Empanadas are loved in many countries. Each place often has its own special way of making them.
Argentina
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In Argentina, empanadas are often served at parties. They can be a starter or a main meal. Many shops specialize in making fresh empanadas. They offer many different flavors and fillings.
Each region of Argentina has its own unique empanada. For example, those from Salta are small and spicy. They often contain potatoes and peppers. In Jujuy, they add peas and garlic. Empanadas from La Rioja might have hard-boiled egg and raisins.
In Mendoza, empanadas are larger. They often include olives and garlic. In Córdoba, they were once called "federal cake." Today, they are sometimes sprinkled with sugar. Along the coast of Patagonia, they are made with seafood. In Buenos Aires, the traditional empanada is very important. It is even called a "Cultural Heritage" dish.
Belize
In Belize, empanadas are known as panades. They are made with masa (corn dough). They are usually filled with fish, chicken, or beans. Panades are deep-fried and served with cabbage or salsa. You can often find them sold as street food.
Chile
In Chile, empanadas are a very important part of the national food. People eat large amounts of them during national day celebrations. Many Chileans believe it is their most famous dish.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, empanadas are called panada. They are very popular in Manado cuisine in North Sulawesi. Their panada has a thick crust made from fried bread. It is filled with spicy cakalang fish (skipjack tuna) and chili. Sometimes, they have curry or quail eggs. The panada in North Sulawesi came from Portuguese influence.
Philippines
Filipino empanadas usually have ground beef, pork, or chicken. They also contain potatoes, onions, and raisins. The bread is often a bit sweet. There are two main types: baked and flaky fried. Sometimes, kutsay (garlic chives) is added as a filling.
In Ilocos, northern Philippines, empanadas have savory fillings. These include green papaya, mung beans, and sometimes Ilocano sausage (chorizo). This type is fried and uses rice flour for a crunchy shell. Some people even make them with mashed eggplant and scrambled eggs.
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In Bulacan, there's an empanada called "de kaliskis." It has a flaky, layered crust that looks like scales. In Cebu, "empanada Danao" is sweet and savory. It's filled with chopped chorizo and chayote. It's deep-fried and dusted with sugar.
There are also dessert empanadas. "Empanaditas" often have a filling of latik (coconut caramel) or peanut butter. In Cebu, "sinudlan empanada" is a small fried empanada. It has a sweet coconut meat filling called bukayo.
Sicily (Italy)
In Modica, Sicily, there are unique empanadas called 'Mpanatigghi. They are half-moon shaped and filled with a mix of almonds, walnuts, chocolate, sugar, and minced beef. They are also known as impanatiglie.
These treats were likely brought by the Spanish in the 1500s. This is because their name sounds Spanish. Also, the mix of meat and chocolate is common in Spanish cooking. In the past, they used game meat, but now beef is used.
United States
Empanadas are very popular in the United States. You can find them in places like New York City, New Jersey, and Miami. They are sold by food carts, food trucks, and restaurants. Empanadas are common in areas with many Hispanic people. This includes cities like San Antonio and Los Angeles.
Venezuela
Traditional Venezuelan empanadas are made with ground corn dough. Modern versions use precooked corn. The dough can be yellow from a plant called annatto. The fillings are very varied. Common ones include cheese, shredded beef, or chicken. On Margarita Island, cazón (school shark) is a popular filling.
Some empanadas are called "dominó". These are filled with black beans and cheese. Empanadas have a half-moon shape and are fried in oil. Sometimes, they have more than one filling. For example, Empanadas de pabellón have shredded beef, black beans, fried plantain slices, and shredded white cheese.
Foods like empanadas
The empanada is similar to savory pastries found in many other cultures. Some examples include the pirozhki, calzone, samosa, knish, and pasty.
In most Malay-speaking countries in Southeast Asia, a similar pastry is called karipap.
Images for kids
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Chilean empanadas
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Salvadoran empanadas de platano with coffee
See also
In Spanish: Empanada para niños
