Wines and Empanadas, the most Argentinian pairing

Although Argentinian gastronomy has evolved and found its place, protected by diverse origins, There are two products which have transcended internal borders and have taken root strongly in all regions of the country; empanadas and wines. All provinces have their own recipe for empanada, while wine production expands its limits year after year, defying tradition and nature.

For it, we can say that the combination of empanadas and wines is the most national and federal pairing, because beyond being represented throughout the country, it offers a diversity of tastes and flavors as entertaining as it is attractive.

National holidays are always a good excuse to get together as a family, beyond the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, and worship one of the popular foods that have culturally forged society, and what better than to accompany them with drink. national.

To understand the popularity and diversity of the empanada, it is necessary to know its origins and its journey to reach the tables in Argentina today. The famous gastronomic journalist Pietro Sorba explains it very well in his recent book “La Santa Empanada” (Editorial Planeta); “I love the empanada, I fell in love from the first meeting. It was in 1988, when I first came into contact with Argentina, I loved its portable size and its mystery, because until I bit it, it was impossible to know what its colors, texture and texture were. flavor ”.

According to the author, the pie has accompanied man for many centuries and was born out of the need to solve several problems at once: andAssemble, store, transport, sell, divide, display and of course eat conveniently and without utensils.

Its etymology encompasses different cultures that have adopted it over time. Many linguists agree in attributing to the word pa (from the ancient Indo-European language Avestan, ancestor of Greek and Latin) the meaning of “to nourish”. The prefix in derives directly from Latin (in = adentro). Same origin for the word bread (panis = bread) and for the suffix ada (quantity / portion). Therefore, the empanada is a synthesis of ancient words and knowledge.

Wine also has thousands of years accompanying the evolution of humanity, and it developed in Argentina thanks to the contribution of immigrants. Today, although the Cuyo region, ruled by Mendoza, continues to be the main wine producer, NOA and Patagonia continue to expand, as new origins have been added, such as Buenos Aires and its vineyards of maritime influence, Córdoba. , Between Ríos, La Pampa, Tucumán and Santa Fé, among other alternative lands.

We know that a large part of Argentinian gastronomy is marked by Italian and Spanish customs, mainly, which originated with the arrival of the first conquerors. The same happened with the empanada, as evidenced by the presence of its name in Iberian cookbooks prior or contemporary to the time of Christopher Columbus.

Empanada, synthesis of cultures

According to the journalist born in Genoa (Italy) but long based in Buenos Aires, empanda is a synthesis of cultures. The (anonymous) 13th-century Andalusian cookbook, analyzed and translated by North American gastronomic writer Charles Perry, describes the cookbook of a region whose boundaries stretched between southern Europe (Spain ) and North Africa, where the product of a great “contamination” between the West and the Muslim world. This crossroads of cultures was one of the milestones in the history of the empanada.

This cultural and commercial route, which had empanada in its DNA, joins an even older route; the Silk Road from the 2nd century BC. Another legendary journey that crossed the entire Asian continent connecting China, Mongolia, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Europe and Africa. Merchant lands, products and new opportunities, and culinary customs that have traveled thousands of kilometers to adapt to virgin territories and meet new guests. Several centuries later, in the 15th century, the Portuguese Spice Route was added. But there are other data from even more distant periods of this culinary epic.

East and West. North and South. East and West. Before and after Jesus Christ. The map is huge and the footprints are everywhere, you just need to have patience and perseverance to find them. These six examples that the author cites in his brand new book of an Iranian, an Indian, a Moroccan, a German, an Englishman and an Italian demonstrate just how much the idea pie had been around for a long time:

Iranian historian Abolfazl Beyhaqi (995-1077) mentions samosa – a typical Indian pancake – whose name is a derivation of the Persian word sambosag.

Indian musician, poet and scholar Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) who, with his work, has been able to unite the cultures of Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia, Pakistan and India, mentions him on various occasions in his enigmas and in his work Mathnavi Noh Sepehr : “Samosa made from meat, ghee and onions is appreciated at the court of the Sultanate of Delhi”.

Ibn Battouta, tireless traveler and Moroccan explorer of the 14th century, describes in one of the chronicles recounting his nine years of service at the court of Sultan Mohammed Ibn Tughliq a banquet where the guests enjoyed samushak or sambusak: “A small pastry of minced meat, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and spices served as a starter before the traditional pulao “. It is interesting to note that, unlike the current versions, these samosas did not have a potato, an ingredient that was introduced by the Portuguese many years later and which today is at the heart of the recipe. of this specialty.

The Buch von guter spîse is the first cookbook (1350) written in Old German by Michael de Leone. In its pages, the cookbook of the nascent urban gentry of the time is described. Recipe number 15 is a von pasteden (fish cake).

Another similar recipe is found in The Forme of Cury, compiled by the chef to King Richard II of England in 1390. The recipe (XX.VIII.IX.), called tarts, has these indications: “Take some meat and boil it. Chop it very finely. Take a hard-boiled egg and chop it. Mix them with whole plums and hydrated dates, pine nuts and raisins, powdered spices, sugar and salt. Make a small box, fill it with the filling and cook it until it turns dark ”.

In chapter IV of his book Arte Coladora (1465), Maestro Martino (Italian chef and gastronomic star of the time) explains step by step the elaboration of ofelle: “You will take a good parmesan not very parked and another fresh cheese and you will grate them. Mix them with egg white, whole raisins, cinnamon, ginger and a little saffron. Unite everything until a very homogeneous and compact compound is obtained. Then you will have a very thin dough like the one used for lasagna and you will attach the ofelle with it, making large, medium and small as you wish, painting the dough with a little saffron or another color you like. love; bake them in the oven and make sure that it is not too hot because they should not be overcooked”.

Empanada and wine in Argentina

According to Pietro Sorba, empanada is an important part of the country’s history. Immediately after landing, it took root which clung vigorously to the homeland and never abandoned it again. It was present at the time of the colonizers and the Creole crossbreeding. It was adopted by immigrants and their descendants. He is the protagonist of regional cookbooks and will surely continue to be part of future gastronomic models.

Currently, the empanada is going through a dynamic stage that goes beyond its traditional ingredients. We begin to perceive the need to pay much more attention to the preparation of the pasta and to work resolutely on the embellishment of the fillings. The emphasis on quality was well demonstrated at the inaugural Federal Empanada Championship held in 2019, which brought together competitors from ten provinces across the country presenting fifteen classic and creative interpretations. The evaluation parameters, applied by a highly qualified jury, included the composition of the pasta and toppings, the typicality, the plumpness, the type of cooking and the presentation.

Today, we can say that the Argentinian empanada has conquered its place beyond the borders, establish a strong foothold in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, United States, France, Holland, England, Ireland, Italy and Portugal, among other countries. Thus, she has become an ambassador of the identity, culture and tradition of each Argentine territory.

Something similar has happened with Argentinian wines in recent years, whose evolution has not only been marked by quality but also by the diversity of an industry that continues to be highly atomized, allowing hundreds of wines with a character of place, the faithful reflection of a region, and which are already part of the culture of these peoples.

And without a doubt, wine is the best company for this mouthful with a Latin soul and citizen of the world, noble and humble, popular and discreet, as Pietro Sorba describes in Santa Empanada, his 16th book, and which also relates with 160 of the best recipes from Argentina and the world. All of the country’s provinces have been organized into 5 regions (NOA, NEA, Cuyo, Región Pampeana and Patagonia) and are represented by recipes from 44 skilled authors who have come up with delicious interpretations that reflect both traditional and contemporary styles.

Fabrice Portelli He is an Argentinian sommelier and wine expert

Twitter: @FabriPortelli

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