The Big Implications of the Empanada’s Bite-Sized History
An illustration of the Spanish Main and Caribbean Islands
“What...is an empanada?” I heard her voice float up toward our window. We had only been open a couple of months, and this was the first time I had been asked this question. I also wasn’t very prepared. The little girl looking up at the window reminded me a bit of myself—I also like to order from food trucks. She was satisfied with my explanation that it’s “like a Hot Pocket, but better.”, only I was left wondering what I would say to the next person.
So, I started thinking, what is an empanada?
If you’ve ever had a calzone from your local Italian spot or some potstickers ordered in on DoorDash, then you’re on the right track. Every culture on Earth has its version of stuffed dough, and whether you want breakfast, lunch, or dinner, no matter where you are in the world, you will find stuffed dough on the menu, baked or fried. And, since food brings people together, breaks down barriers, and invites a conversation, in this Pantry Staple, we’re talking about how stuffed dough, specifically, empanadas, made it to the Western Hemisphere, and how a simple food for the poor and enslaved people of our past has been transformed into a culinary mainstay prepared in some of the finest kitchens in the world.
As a quick side note— when I’m revisiting Caribbean History, early American history, and adjacent topics, I will always touch a bit on colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and other important events in the historical record, if applicable, because it’s part of how this all came to be. In this case, I can’t really explain how the empanada arrived in the West without first going over how the Spaniards also came to be here—but thankfully, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was last week, and I’ve already said my piece about Cristobal Colón, so no need for a refresher.
So, like everything else “introduced” into the West, it was due to the zeal of the Spanish crown and their love of gold. Empanadas are believed to have originated in or around Galicia, Spain, and the earliest mentions of them are believed to be found in literature from as early as the 7th century and onward, through to the colonization of the Caribbean in the early 1500s. As the Spanish exploration and subsequent conquests occurred, the native populations were wiped out due to famine, disease, exile, or execution, and, so as not to waste their initial investment in the West, Spain decided to start sending African slaves to fill in the gaps of physical labor left by the decimated native populations. As these people of other nations were brought to our shores, they carried with them their methods of cooking and ingredients, and a hell of a lot of creativity, as they also had to make do with what was available to them as they went.
Spicy Jamaican beef patties incorporate turmeric in their dough to give it a gorgeous yellow color and unique flavor. In Puerto Rico, we make something called an alcapurria, my absolute favorite, which is a type of empanada that uses plantain as the masa, and pastelitos are a Cuban version of an empanada made with puff pastry and glazed with sugar. Travel south across the Caribbean Sea and you’ll arrive in Venezuela and then Colombia, where corn is abundant, and arepas are made. The tale is the same as you travel northwest through Central America and toward the Yucatán peninsula. The origin story of all of these foods is rooted in servitude; scraps scrounged together from leftover holiday feasts cleared from the tables of their masters, encased in the starchy staples available to them.
Today, you’ll find these iconic pastries in every kitchen in the world, all with different fillings, often still using a small amount of leftovers to feed many mouths. You will come across them in gourmet or casual settings, at a food truck or Michelin star experience. And just like the Caribbean, people on the other side of the world also adapted dough stuffed with what was available, and when you travel through Asia, Africa, and Australia, you’ll have tasted one across every border and in every culture you pass through.
Food brings us together, and it takes us places. It helps us revisit the past, and it brings context to the present. I think of the empanada as a handheld history—an anthropological artifact we can share, one that can be a beacon of comfort in a strange place. I know if I’m ever traveling to a new country, and I want to find something delicious that’ll make me feel like I’m right at home, I’ll be looking for the savory pastries.
We’re going to take a break next week from food history and the heavier themes therein and talk about culinary creativity! I’m excited to discuss what’s inspiring us this Fall, a more in-depth look at our 2026 catering menu, and I’ll be sharing a recipe I came up with last week for a Carrot and Curry Cream Soup that you’ll absolutely be adding to your rotation!
