National Empanada Day

Have you ever tried Empanadas? Where do they come from and are they so common in most western countries? Although there is no definitive confirmation about the origin of Empanadas, but according to many records, Empanadas appeared the earliest in Spain. In a cookbook in Catalan, Spain published in 1520, there is a record of how to prepare Empanadas with seafood flavor. And Empanadas in Spanish means "wrapped in bread". Appeared very soon in Spain, then Empanadas began to be transmitted to many other countries in Latin America such as Argentina, Chile, Portugal, Mexico, the Caribbean... Even the United States chose April 8 every year as a celebration for Empanadas cake, also known as National Empanadas Day, is enough to prove that this is a very popular and popular cake in Western countries. And National Empanadas Day is celebrated every year to honor this delicious and popular cake.

History of National Empanada Day

Although the origin as well as history of National Empanadas Day date has not been recorded. As well as the founder of National Empanada Day is still an unanswered question. However, the empanada is so delicious and that's the main reason we can't miss National Empanada Day.

As the name Empanadas means "wrapped in bread", Empanadas have two important main parts: the crust and the inside. The crust is almost the same in many countries and is mostly made from wheat flour, sometimes people use corn flour, potato flour ...

Empanadas usually have a common shape that is a semicircle. People will roll the crust to a round shape, place the filling and fold the cake in half, and at the same time, squeeze the edge of the cake so that the two layers stick together to form a beautiful semicircle. However, there are also places, people make Empanadas in the form of a circle, instead of doubling the crust, people use 2 layers of cake overlap.

Empanadas have two basic fillings: sweet and savory. Sweet fillings usually include ingredients such as butter, eggs, chocolate, honey, fruits... But savory empanadas are more popular.

The savory empanadas are filled with a variety of ingredients such as pork, beef, chicken, seafood... or even in some places people also use goat meat, I lama meat (a type of llamas) to make the filling. In addition to the main ingredient is meat, the Empanadas filling is also added with other ingredients such as potatoes, chopped olives, cheese, eggs, vegetables... so there are many flavors to choose from.

After wrapping the Empanadas, people will put them in the oven or if there is no oven, they will bring the Empanadas to cook. However, it will be cook evenly and less oily when baking tin the oven.

In most countries people often use this cake for breakfast and snacks where empanadas are popular. Especially on the occasion of the festival, families often make Empanadas to make the meal richer.

One of the reasons in many Western countries why Empanadas are so popular is probably because they are quite easy to make. In particular, the filling of the cake depends on the taste, depending on the specialties of each region, but the baker can "variably change" according to his/her own preferences. Therefore, empanadas passing through each country will have a few distinct variations, making this cake in the world more and more diverse, eating it all the time without getting bored, so the number of people who love it is also increasing.

How to observe National Empanada Day

On National Empanada Day, at least go out and eat them. Sometimes to leave things to the experts is the best way to do. If your area has a thriving Latin American or Caribbean community, this is especially true. Even if you don't have one, go to the shops nearby and enjoy an empanada with friends.

Besides asking the experts to let you enjoy the empanada. Then on this holiday, you can also make your own empanada with your favorite flavor. To have a good time with family, relatives, knead dough, make filling. It will certainly be unforgettable memories. If you are looking for a recipe. Try following the instructions below.

Material

Wrapper

Wheat flour: 315 grams

Water: 150ml

A little salt

Pork fat: 86 grams (wine for water)

Cake filling

Beef: 250 grams

Bell peppers: left

Onion: bulb (chopped)

Spicy Paprika Powder: tsp

Dried chili

Cumin powder (Egyptian cumin powder): tsp

Boiled egg: 1 egg

Some spices: Salt, black pepper

Making

Step 1: You put the pork fat (or unsalted butter), water and salt into a small pot and stir until the ingredients are completely dissolved. After that, let the mixture cool, then add the prepared flour, mix well and continue kneading for about 3 minutes to get a really smooth and even dough. Cover the dough with cling film and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Step 2: Put the pan on the stove, put a little oil and then add the beef, briefly stir-fry to make the beef hunt again. Then you need to add a pepper and little salt and mix well. Turn off the heat and pour this meat into a bowl. Use absorbent paper to absorb all the fat secreted from the beef to dry completely.

Step 3: Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the pan and stir-fry until the vegetables are firm, then add the cumin, paprika and dried chili powder, stir until completely mixed. Turn off the heat and add this vegetable to mix well with the beef. Peel the hard-boiled eggs, mince them, and mix them into the beef and vegetable mixture before.

Step 4: Take out the dough that has been incubated in the refrigerator and roll it to about 2.5 - 3mm thin and then cut into round pieces of dough with the prepared cake cutter.

Step 5: Scoop the cake filling made in step 3 into the middle of the dough, then fold the dough in half to form a semicircle, fold the edges of the dough to stick together.

Step 6: Spread the parchment paper on the tray, then arrange the cake neatly on the tray and then put it in the oven, bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes until the cake is cooked, the crust turns golden.

Don't forget to share your photos with the empanadas on social media with the hashtag #NationalEmpanadaDay. By posting to your profile, you can create a more fun atmosphere by challenging your friends to share their homemade empanadas and see who's more qualified.