This post is a collaborative post written in group by #TeamArgentina. One of us is the one that publishes it, but we all cooperate in the idea, the writing process and/or the photo selection.
Following our series of posts about Argentinian Dishes included in the #TeamChallenge series about Living Argentina, this time, I want to talk about THE EMPANADA.
Empanadas are a typical and very popular dish in Argentina. They are made with wheat flour dough, which is filled with a salty or sweet preparation and cooked in the oven or fried (immersed in boiling oil). The filling may include red or white meat, fish, vegetables or even dulce de leche.
Argentine empanadas derive from European and Middle Eastern empanadas (fatay and sfihas) that, after their diffusion through southern Europe (mainly Andalusia), arrived to America with the Spanish conquerors. The difference between Argentinians and Europeans is that ours are like a semicircle and closed with a “repulgue” that is made in different ways, depending on the filling, which allows to differentiate them from each other once they are closed.
Depending on the region, the fillings that are used vary. The best known empanadas are the Criollas, the Tucumanas and the Salteñas, but each region of Argentina has its own version of the classic empanada.
The empanadas Tucumanas are characterized for being very juicy. The dough is made with wheat flour, water and fat. The filling is beef cut with a knife, chicken, onion, paprika and chopped hard-boiled egg, with abundant cumin. Sometimes raisins are added. Tucuman empanadas are cooked in a clay oven or fried in an iron pot.
The empanadas Salteñas are stuffed with chopped beef, potato pieces, hard boiled egg and ciboulette and sometimes they are added broth to make they juicier. They are usually accompanied with a spicy chili mixture (cayenne).
The empanadas Criollas are prepared mainly in the Province and in the City of Buenos Aires. They are very similar to the tucumanas, although somewhat larger. The most common fillings are beef, chicken, humita, vegetables and ham and cheese. Meat patties usually carry onions, hard boiled eggs, olives, raisins and cumin. They are usually baked, although they can also be fried.
In Argentina, empanadas have a privileged place on every home, and their consumption is very similar to that of pizza. It is not a mere folklore dish. Argentinians eat empanadas on a daily basis and are usually consumed at quick lunch or in meetings with many people. If you travel to Argentina, you will find lots of places that sell empanadas to eat on the way, to take away, or to order delivery to your home. The fillings are so many and varied that surely you will find a flavour that matches your taste. In my case, I love empanadas with mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil. They are called Caprese and are so yummy!!
It is very common to request delivery of empanadas when meetings are held with many people, since it allows each person to choose the filling they like most, and everyone can eat without dishes.
Something fun about the repulgue and crowded meetings, is that it often happens that the box arrives with the empanadas and the delivery guy forgets to include the paper that indicates which is the filling for each style of repulgue. In these cases, if the repulgue is not well differentiated, suddenly everyone starts like … Who ordered meat? … Does anyone have the ham and cheese that I ordered? Uh! This was made with humita and I ordered vegetables!
Have you ever tried empanadas? What do you think about them? Do you know places where Argentine empanadas are sold in other parts of the world? Tell us in the comments!
Experience of #TeamArgentina with empanadas
Jesi (@Jesi? Empanadas are a great option of food to go, for group meals of all kinds, and even as appetizers in the most traditional restaurants. They are sold at many types of restaurants, take-away empanada restaurants, and at every pizzeria.
Some of the flavors I like most are ham and cheese, chicken, meat, and a flavor that isn’t as traditional called Italian or caprese that has cheese, tomato and basil.
I also love to order the rare fried potato empanadas from the franchise Estrella del Sur. I haven’t seen that flavor sold anywhere else. Despite how weird it seems to most empanada eaters, I find them delicious!
As for arab empanadas, I have eaten fatay lots of times by themselves or to eat with a shawarma.
It’s also not so hard to cook empanadas at home. My mom sometimes cooks beef empanadas, which I love even more than the potato ones. I help her make them, but I have only been able to get the repulgue right a couple of times, so I normally do it with a fork so it doesn’t look so bad.
Karol (@kroza? What’s not love about empanadas?! They’re practical, affordable and totally adaptable to any taste preference or eating style.
I must confess I feel a little bit guilty about us #TeamArgentina telling you how tasty they are and what a fun time we have sharing them with our friends, so…wait no more! Here’s a (super accurate - Argentinian checked) recipe by La Coquette Food for you to try and surprise your loved ones with some homemade empanadas with ingredients you can find in almost any supermarket or grocery store around the world.
Just some tips:
- You can prepare the dough the day before, otherwise it may take you a long time for a meal that will vanish in seconds from the table! Be sure to cover it with some plastic wrap.
- You can make the dough vegan, using chickpea flour, cool water, salt, and (a bit of) oat bran.
- The easiest way to make the edges is to use a fork.
- This recipe is for baked empanadas dough, which I understand is different from fried in that the latter has a lower fat content, so just in case I would not try frying the ones in the video.
I’ll be waiting for your pics in the comments! Why not dare filling them with some ingredients from your country? Already anxious to see the most creative empanadas!
Caro (@CaroGuiniazu? There is no family in Argentina who doesn’t eat empanadas at least once a week. Since they can be stored in the freezer, they are a quick and practical solution for the dreaded "what’s for dinner?" question.
But at the same time, it’s such a deep-rooted custom that empanadas can be found from family tables to the most exclusive and elegant parties.
With regard to the flavours, although the most famous are those of ham and cheese, meat and chicken, Arab empanadas (triangle-shaped and stuffed with lemon-cured meat) are also very popular.
For the most demanding palates, there are “gourmet” flavors. My all-time favorites are: -mozzarella, plum and bacon
-Roquefort, celery and walnuts
Both flavors belong to a well-known food chain that has franchises throughout the country (EL NOBLE).
Farid (@FaridTDF? For me the tastiest empanadas are Salteñas, perhaps because I was born in that province in the North of Argentina. One of the main characteristics is that the meat that is used in what is called recado , is cut with a knife into small cubes unlike other empanadas where minced meat is used. The type of meat can be, cuadrada, loin ball, buttock or buttock cover and the taste of an empanada differs greatly depending on this. It is important that the meat is not so lean so that the empanada is juicy, then there are also other ingredients that will give it that characteristic and special touch.
Now if by chance you visit Salta you have to go through Balcarce street where you can enjoy these culinary delights, along with a beautiful folkloric show in the renowned folklore clubs. Now if your thing is meeting people, go down San MartĂn street in the background to the channel where the Balderrama alley, which is a typical place too, though the best empanadas are in the little pubs around the canal where they’re fried, which for me are the tastiest. Writing about this reminds me a lot of my grandmother’s empanadas, how tasty they were.
Today, eating empanadas is like a snack, might not be always considered a formal meal, but it is when you get together at a party to hang out. They are never missing at any table in Argentina and come in handy when you have unexpected visitors.
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This post is included in the series about Argentina, as part of the Team Challenge proposed by @ErmesT .It’s about introducing our country, its culture and traditions.
Learn more about our country reading the post series Living Argentina.
You can find all the posts of this series searching by the hashtags #teamChallenge and #teamArgentina.
