Even Leonardo da Vinci was fascinated by the versatility of this dish, which today is still popular throughout the world and even unifies Latin America with varied and delicious versions in many of its countries.
“A layer of polenta is cut into 20-by-10-centimeter pieces and baked. Then, each one is taken and a slot is made, through which it is filled with a mixture of diced plums, grated hazelnuts sprinkled with walnuts and almonds, small pieces of pork and an equal amount of goat cheese … “
Thus is the provocative description made by one of the most important artists in history referring to empanadas, and it is recorded in the book “Apuntes de cocina,” which collects notes on this genius’ fondness for good food.
“I know that this dish is consumed by those who work in the mountains or in the fields and who take it from their homes and feed them for the whole day… I have been thinking about the advantages that this dish has, that it allows the feed himself while he continues his work with the other hand,” da Vinci says in the reproduction of the so-called Codex Romanoff. The notebook, discovered in 1981, is where the artist wrote down delicious recipes with comments about good table manners and where he drew sketches of his curious inventions to facilitate the life of the cook and the diner.
And that is essentially what the empanada is all about, in any of its preparations, a portion of dough whose objective is to allow consumers to enjoy a delicious filling whether it is chicken, fish or meat. Empanadas also can be prepared with cheese and even with grains, potatoes and bananas, ingredients that not only feed the body but also provide gastronomic identity to countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Puerto Rico, among others. Those communities give life to Central Florida by sharing their traditions and customs to enrich the culture of the region.
The variety in the preparation of empanadas, as well as its ingredients, is as rich as the Latin culture in general, and has proven to be one of the most accepted and available foods: in a street kiosk, in a restaurant or in a bakery, it is found every hour of the day.
In some places it is cornmeal, in others it is wheat. Some prepare them fried, others baked and there are those who call them differently and although the essence is the same, the debate is always a good excuse to enjoy a talk about food from our places of origin.
One of the most famous discussions about it can be heard from Puerto Ricans, who defend their dish according to the region of the island from which they came. Rafael Román, businessman, chef, lover of traditional food and owner of FL Bakery clarifies the panorama.
“In the south of the island they call everything an empanadilla; while, in the center of the island and the north, they call it pastelillo. The difference is in the way in which the dough is prepared and how the stuffing ingredients are prepared. The empanadilla is supposed to have slightly more elaborate folds than those of the pastelillo,” Román explained while confirming they are, in fact, different dishes. “Additionally, the dough of the empanadilla is white, while that of the pastry is yellow.
“For example, I grew up in the center of the island, in the countryside, and we called everything that had a chicken or meat filling a pastelillo. In the south, there are chapín or fish dumplings, and everything you see in the kiosks near the beach in that area, they call them a dumpling, even if they are shaped like a pastry.”
In both cases, the dough is made with wheat flour, as is the Galician empanada, which came from Spain and evolving into versions that are even easier to transport. This is the origin of all Latin American empanadas.
According to a CNN report, Argentines have different types of gastronomy: Tucuman cuisine, stuffed mainly with minced meat and egg; the catamarqueñas, which have raisins in the stew, and the criollas, the best known internationally, which contain the aforementioned ingredients and olives, chives and potatoes.
The Chilean empanadas are also made from wheat flour and are usually stuffed with ground meat, onion, spices, eggs and olives, and is an emblematic dish of the typical food of this country. Uruguay and Paraguay also have variations of the same dish.
Colombia and Venezuela, on the other hand, have corn flour empanadas on their traditional menu, fried and stuffed with different stews. In the case of Colombia, it is usually pork and potato. In Venezuela, they are prepared with chicken, cheese, fish, and the colorful combination called pavilion, after the typical dish of that country: black beans, shredded meat, fried ripe plantain and white cheese.
No matter which you choose, the important thing is that every time we take a bite of this delicacy, we are connecting with the essence of our continent, the aroma of our homes and the heart of our history.
Where to get them in Central Florida
In Orlando there are innumerable places with gastronomic representation of these countries, but to do this work we visited the following:
FL Bakery has been offering Puerto Rican flavors in Orlando for a year and a half, after leaving the island following the onslaught of Hurricane Maria. They are distinguished by offering high-quality products imported from Puerto Rico, in the setting of a place with impressive and current decorations. 3425 W Vine St. in Kissimmee; @flbakeryrestaurant on Instagram
Meat Emporium is also known informally as “the Uruguayans.” It is a bright supermarket full of Latin products imported from Venezuela, Colombia and the south of the continent. Their specialty is meat, but they offer a surprising variety of well-prepared empanadas from different countries. 12720 S Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando; @meatemporium on Instagram
La casa de las empanadas is an informal, spacious, popular place that lives up to its name by offering more than 50 flavors of empanadas that range between the exotic and the traditional from different countries, as well as lunch and snack options. 1709 W. Oak Ridge Road in Orlando; @CasaDeLasEmpanadasRestaurantBakery on Facebook
Originally Published:
