[2] Chicken empanadas (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Galician and Portuguese empanadas are made as a whole pie and served in slices (photo © Maria Lunarillos)

Most Americans know empanadas as fried Latin American fare. They are savory turnovers: pastry dough that is filled, folded, baked or fried. For National Empanada Day, April 8th, here’s the empanadas history.

The concept came to Latin America with Spanish immigrants. The pies originated in Galicia, the northwest corner of Spain, and across the border in Portugal.

 
 
EMPANADA HISTORY

Empanadas first appear in Medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions, which began in 711 C.E. A cookbook published in Catalonia in 1520 has recipes for empanadas filled with seafood.

According to Majuraps, it is believed that empanadas and calzones evolved from the Arabic meat-filled pies, known as samosas sambusas, or samboksas.

Yes, the crunchy fried food originated in Arabia before migrating to India. Indian cooks made it their own with fillings such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, cheese and minced lamb.

The Spanish name empanada comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.

The dish traveled to Latin America and the Philippines with Spanish colonists, becoming widespread fare.
 
 
What’s for lunch? Empanadas!