the.com/empanada
a pocket so universally beloved that fifteen countries each swear they perfected it first.
means A pastry or dough turnover that is filled, then folded over and sealed before being baked or fried.
from From Spanish empanada, the past participle of empanar, 'to wrap or coat in bread,' built from en- ('in') plus pan ('bread')—itself from Latin panis. So the name is literally honest: a thing put in bread. The dish spread with the Spanish and Portuguese (Portuguese has the cousin empada) across Latin America, the Philippines, and beyond, picking up local fillings everywhere it landed.
- name origin
- From Spanish empanar, meaning to wrap in bread.
- crimp code
- Argentine repulgue patterns signal each filling without opening.
- galician roots
- Documented in Spain since at least 1520.
- global spread
- Every Latin American country claims its own version.
- baked or fried
- The eternal civil war of dough lovers.
empanadas mendocinas — argentine pastries from mendoza province, traditionally filled with meat, onions, and spices
empanadas gallegas — spanish empanadas from galicia, typically filled with tuna, peppers, or meat, baked in large rectangular sheets
empanadas chilenas — chilean version filled with ground meat, onions, raisins, and olives, often sold by street vendors in santiago