empanada
C1Informal, Culinary
Definition
Meaning
A pastry turnover of Spanish or Latin American origin, filled with a savory mixture (such as seasoned meat, cheese, or vegetables), then baked or fried.
Any dish or food item consisting of a filling wrapped in dough, though the term most specifically refers to the Spanish and Latin American variety. Can also refer metonymically to Latin American or Spanish cuisine or culture.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is a direct borrowing from Spanish and retains its foreign feel in English. It refers specifically to a distinct food item and is not used generically for all stuffed pastries.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties understand the term identically. It is slightly more common in American English due to greater exposure to Latin American cuisines.
Connotations
Connotes authentic, often homemade, Latin American or Spanish food. In the US, may specifically evoke Mexican, Argentinian, or Caribbean cuisine.
Frequency
Low-frequency word overall, but common in contexts discussing international cuisine, food blogs, and multicultural urban areas.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Noun] + of + [Filling] (e.g., an empanada of beef and olives)[Adjective] + empanadaVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to 'empanada' in English]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in the restaurant, catering, or food import/export industries.
Academic
Used in cultural studies, anthropology, or culinary history discussions of Latin American or Spanish foodways.
Everyday
Used when discussing food, ordering at restaurants, or describing a meal.
Technical
Used in professional culinary contexts to describe a specific preparation technique and dish.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I ate a cheese empanada for lunch.
- The empanada was very hot.
- We ordered beef empanadas and a salad to share.
- Would you prefer a baked or a fried empanada?
- The little bakery on the corner makes the most authentic Argentinian empanadas in the city.
- As an appetizer, they served miniature empanadas with three different dipping sauces.
- The seminar explored the socio-cultural significance of the empanada as a symbol of diaspora and culinary adaptation.
- His recipe for empanada dough, passed down through generations, uses a touch of vinegar for extra flakiness.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a PANADA (a Spanish/Catalan bread soup) that you EN-close in dough: you 'EN-PANADA' it. An empanada is enclosed food.
Conceptual Metaphor
FOOD IS A PACKAGE / CULTURE IS FOOD (An empanada is a package of flavor; eating one is a taste of another culture).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate as 'пирог' (pie) generically, as it loses the specific cultural and structural connotations. It is a specific type of filled pastry. 'Пирожок' is closer in form but carries strong Eastern European/Russian associations.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing it /ɛmˈpænədə/ (em-PAN-uh-duh).
- Using it to refer to sweet dessert pastries (less common, though sweet empanadas exist).
- Treating it as a mass noun (e.g., 'I ate some empanada' is wrong; 'I ate an empanada/some empanadas' is correct).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'empanada' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a fully naturalised loanword from Spanish, now found in major English dictionaries. It is used without italics in general prose.
Both are stuffed pastry turnovers. Empanadas are of Spanish/Latin American origin, often crimped along the edge, and fillings can vary widely (beef, chicken, cheese, corn). A pasty is specifically Cornish (UK), typically crimped on top, and traditionally contains beef, potato, swede, and onion.
Yes, though less common outside specific regions. Sweet empanadas can be filled with fruits like guava, apple, or sweet pumpkin ('calabaza'), often dusted with sugar.
In American English: /ˌɛmpəˈnɑdə/ (em-puh-NAH-duh). In British English: /ˌɛmpəˈnɑːdə/ (em-puh-NAH-duh). The stress is on the third syllable.