Lovingly, “Empanadita”
My uncle's pet name for me, and how the empanada connects us around the world.
By Mireya Báez
The empanada is the term used for a dough that is filled and baked or fried. That's what they call it in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Spain and much of Latin America. However, empanada is a truly universal recipe that is known in almost every corner of the world.
An empanada by any other name
I came to realize this when customers from different cultures and countries began to visit Milohas. With a cheerful nostalgia, they always told me: “These empanadas remind me a lot of a product that is made in my country.” That's how these names from all over the world began to be part of my gastronomic vocabulary: pastelito (as they call it in the Caribbean), pastes (in Mexico), salteñas (in Bolivia), turnover (in the United Kingdom), patty or pasty (in England), calzone and panzerotto (in Italy), samosa (in India and South Asia), pierogi (in Poland), varenyky (in Ukraine), burek (in Turkey and the Middle East), dumplings (in China) and jiaozi or gyoza (in Japan). This knowledge about the universality of the empanada made me see how gastronomy is one of the clearest mirrors of our global connection.
The empanada has always been in my life
In addition, I recently discovered that “the empanada” is a term and a product that has always been present in my life. Why? You will wonder. I was born in a country and in a home where empanada is a fundamental part of our diet and culture. In fact, in 1999, in the midst of a strong economic crisis in Colombia, we set out to found an empanadas business using the recipes of Ernesto's mother, who left us a great culinary legacy that he knew how to recreate perfectly. Thus was born Horneados, an empanada shop that still operates successfully in Bogotá.
My Uncle Luis Enrique's little empanada
But the most curious and tender thing about this story is an image that still remains intact in my mind: that of a very dear uncle, Uncle Luis Enrique. When I was little, I was a chubby and cheeky girl. Every time he visited us, he would take me affectionately in his arms and with a wide and beautiful smile he would say to me: “And, how is my little empanada? (Empanadita?)”
Today, that term of affection makes more sense than ever.
We are waiting for you in Milohas so that you can delight in our “empanaditas”.
Visit and contact
Milohas, 4662 Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA 95118. Phone: (408) 784-3736. Email: info@milohaspastries.com.
Hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday – Friday: 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM