E is for Empanadas

Many countries enjoy these little pockets of joy, but Argentina’s are the tastiest. The name comes from the spanish word “empanar” which means to coat with bread. However, empanadas are not ground-up leftovers rolled in yesterday’s bread crumbs. These handheld treats consist of delicate, flour-based pastry stuffed with a coursely chopped filling, such as corn, chicken and squash, or chopped beef and tomatos. The pastries are baked golden in brick ovens and then served hot or room temperature. Argentinian cooks shape the pastries into circles or half-moons and fold the edges with various knots and twists, so that if you know the code, you can decipher the filling before taking a bite.

Food within food exists in an infinite number of forms. Jelly doughnuts. Chicken Kiev. Profiteroles. Twice baked potatoes. Calzones. Pupusas. Potstickers. Hostess fruit pies. Cabbage rolls. Cheese buttons. Stuffed foods heighten the convenience of cooking, serving, and eating. Even if you don’t like the twinkie, you must admit that holding the spongy yellow cake is easier than holding the sticky white filling. However, even though convenience may be the origin of stuffed foods, the element of surprise is the most exciting part. And I choose not to learn the empanada code, because I want the surprise.

In fact, some stuffed foods were invented purely for the surprise factor. Consider the Turducken. This de-boned chicken inside a de-boned duck inside a de-boned turkey with three different types of stuffing is certainly not made for ease of cooking, serving, or eating. The turducken does not seem to even be made for the sake of good taste. This “bird” purely exists for novelty and surprise, and the surprise factor does work. I will try this bizarre invention, and I will try it once.

But I would eat empanadas any day.

Some Argentinian restaurants fry their empanadas, but the pastries often taste heavier, and the thick batter masks the taste of the filling. Taco bell now offers a caramel apple empanada. Online reviews suggest that it is just the McDonald’s fried apple pie reincarnated.