Chilean Cuisine, Part II

Well I hope that you all enjoyed that tasty morsel yesterday. Continuing with my series on Chilean food, today I present perhaps the oldest of Chilean cuisines. This pocket-like food is purely Chilean, and some of you may have eaten them in Latino restaurants in the states. Most people make these at home every couple of weeks, however there are also several renowned bakeries famous for them. 

I'm talking, of course, about the "empanada." Empanada is a word derived from the verb "to wrap," so literally this food is a hot wrap. Originating in Spain, the empanada came during colonial times to Chile and has since become the unofficial victual of the country. In Chile, you can buy empanadas filled with all sorts of things, from tuna to fruit. However, by far the most popular fillings are either "pino" or cheese. Cheese empanadas are filled with a local white cheese and have a more flaky, croissant-like crust. Pino empanadas are made of a more solid dough, as shown above. Pino is a Mapuche word (the Mapuche are one of two indigenous groups of Chile), and the filling consists of ground beef, hard-boiled eggs, shortening, onions, olives, and sometimes raisins (though I hate them with raisins). 

The empanada is a great food because it represents tradition and adaptation to Chilean customs. Also, it can be bought made at any grocery store or bakery, while still being a common homemade food. They are great to eat on the go, but are usually served as a sort of appetizer or first course prior to a main course. They're easy to make and actually pretty fun. They can be easily frozen and consumed later, so I encourage you all to make some yourself. Here's a link for a recipe. Enjoy!

Empanadas de pino recipe

Preview for tomorrow: Chilean Bakery