History of empanadas
History of empanadas
There are different versions of the history of the creation of empanadas, but it is generally believed that they originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. More precisely at the time of the Crusades, when soldiers had to travel long distances through inhospitable areas, where food was not available. Then, the women came up with a way to make the food last a few days longer and be nutritious enough: they opened a loaf of bread in half, filled it with a stew, and put it back together again. This was called "empanada" food, that is, inside the bread. Later, they spread throughout Latin America through the Spanish colonizers.
They are also said to have arisen in the Middle Ages thanks to miners. They worked long days in the mines and needed to carry with them food that was easy to transport and could be kept fresh for hours. Thus, it is said that miners’ wives began to cook a kind of bread stuffed with different ingredients, such as meat, vegetables, and legumes, which could be easily transported to work. The miners would then hold the empanada at the seam, so they could eat the dough and the filling without getting the stuffed part dirty from their hands.
But the theories of how empanadas came about do not end here. Here are some of the most common versions:
Arab origin
According to this version, empanadas have their origin in the Middle East, where meat and vegetable pies wrapped in bread dough were prepared. The Arabs would have taken this recipe to Spain during their occupation of the Iberian territory, and later the Spaniards spread it throughout Latin America.
Galician origin
This version claims that empanadas originated in the region of Galicia, in northern Spain. There, empanadas were prepared with tuna, cod, and other ingredients, which were wrapped in bread dough and baked. Galician emigrants would have taken this recipe to Latin America, where it was adapted to local ingredients.
Argentine origin
According to this version, empanadas were created by Argentine gauchos in the 19th century. The gauchos, who were the rural workers of the Argentine estancias, prepared empanadas filled with meat and vegetables to take with them on their long journeys across the Argentine plains
Chilean origin
Another version holds that empanadas were created in Chile during colonial times. Spanish colonizers would have taken the recipe to Chile, where it was adapted to local ingredients. Today, Chilean empanadas are very popular and are made with meat, onion, olives, and raisins, among other ingredients.
In short, the history of empanadas is very rich and varied and depends largely on the historical and geographical context in which they originated. What is certain is that empanadas are one of the most popular dishes in Latin America and have become a symbol of the region's gastronomy.
