Empanada

An empanada is a baked or fried turnover of pastry dough folded over a filling such as meat, cheese, tomato or corn, eaten throughout Spain and Latin America with substantial regional variation. It is thought to have originated in seventh century Galicia in northwestern Spain, with documented references appearing in medieval texts including the thirteenth century Cantigas de Santa Maria. In Argentina the empanada shows marked regional diversity, from the small, juicy and spicy salteñas of Salta to the large versions from Mendoza that include olives and garlic, with each province from Jujuy to Cordoba maintaining its own preparation and filling conventions, and Argentine fillings often include potato, pepper and ground chili alongside meat. Empanadas are also widely made across Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, each country developing its own characteristic styles using locally available ingredients.