Britons love pastry. You’re never far from a pie, tart or snack featuring layers of flaky pastry from sausage rolls (Greggs alone sells one million per day) to corner-shop samosas. Regional delicacies like Bakewell pudding still draw coachloads of tourists to quaint village bakeries.
But the latest pastry to shake up the high street comes from much further afield. It seems the empañada is everywhere, from La Bodega in Glasgow to Malo, which has two branches in Brighton. Even supermarkets are in on the act, with the likes of Asda and M&S doing a swift trade in chicken and chorizo versions.
Much like the homegrown Cornish pasty, the empañada is a crescent-shaped, filled pastry, crimped along its curved edge. It is thought to have travelled to South America from Spain, and has roots in the Middle East. Although empanadas can be found all across South America, it’s largely the Argentinian variety that has found an adoring new home here – versions from Venezuela and Chile also feature.
“Empañadas are really important for Argentinian culture,” says Nico Buyo, chef and co-founder of De Nadas, which last week opened its third empañadería in London. “I always compare empañada to fish and chips. You have a shop on every corner. We eat empañada every week, even daily.”
One of the key differences between an empañada and a Cornish pasty is size – the English version is far bigger and heavier. This makes the empañada more versatile: a morning treat with a coffee, a quick snack, a few for lunch or a starter at a restaurant.
“In Cornwall we crimp to the side, in Devon they crimp on top, but let’s not talk about what happens in Devon,” jokes Ched Trevorrow of St Ives Bakery. He says he isn’t a “huge fan” of empañadas, “only because we have Cornish pasties. I’d love to see more Cornish pasty shops in the UK.”
The pasty’s Protected Geographical Indication means it must include at least 12.5 per cent meat, 25 per cent vegetables, be made in Cornwall and have diced or minced beef, sliced or diced potatoes and swede or turnip, onion, salt and pepper.
The empañada? Well, the options are endless. De Nadas serves versions filled with blue cheese and pear, smoked cheddar, caramelised onion and malbec or ham and cheese. Unlike the pasties, they come in several shapes and sizes (although the typical empañada is a crescent) – some are round; some are crimped on top, and look like dumplings.
Why are empañadas booming? For Annabel Martinez-Fox, co-founder of De Nadas, there are three main reasons. “People will come in and may have been on holiday in South America, or lived there, and reminisce about their amazing trips. Or they are Spanish or South American and love the food from their home.” But many have never tried them before, and are “really surprised” at how good they are.
Interestingly, alongside its traditional Cornish pasties, the West Cornwall Pasty Company has a spicy chilli beef version that includes kidney beans, peppers and a jalapeño sauce. A sign, perhaps, that the high street chain is fighting back against the Argentinian upstarts.
Cornish pasties vs Argentinian empañadas
The earliest recorded mention of a pasty in Cornwall is from 1746, and the dish was famously taken down mines, as well as out to sea, hence its sizeable crust, which was used to hold the pasty. Today they can be found all over the county, while a few chains serve them around the country, particularly in train stations.
Living far from Cornwall, I head to the West Cornwall Pasty Company at London Waterloo. I spent many happy holidays in Cornwall as a child, and pasties were a reward for a long day on a rainy beach.
At Waterloo, I don’t have high hopes, but I’m quickly won around by its traditional Cornish pasty that combines “tender steak, Cornish potatoes, buttery swede”. The pastry is thick, dense and comforting though it could be flakier. The filling, a touch salty, tastes strongly of beef and onion, with a pleasing sweetness and a strong, welcome hit of white pepper. Not a bad effort, although I struggle to finish it. Four stars out of five.
In Argentina, unlike in Cornwall, the filling for empañadas is usually cooked before the pastry is stuffed and baked. The traditional version is minced beef, boiled egg and olives, and the Middle Eastern influence can be found in the spices – cumin, smoked paprika and chilli flakes, with oregano and bay too.
I try De Nadas’ Classic Beef, which includes peppers and spring onion: it provides a more flavoursome, exciting experience and, despite the comfort and nostalgia of a Cornish pasty, the Argentinian empañada is the winner here. A full five stars.
Other pretenders to the pasty throne
Patty
Commonly found in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, patties are a direct descendant of the pasty, brought over by Cornish immigrants, with the spiced fillings, including cumin and curry powder, inspired by Indian indentured labourers. The pastry’s yellow hue comes from the use of turmeric.
Knish
This Ashkenazi Jewish snack, often sold in New York, is made of dough filled with mashed potato, buckwheat groats or cheese and baked or fried.
Salteña
Similar to an empañada, the Bolivian salteña tends to be crimped on top. Usually filled with a gelatinous stew of beef, pork or chicken in a sweet sauce made with olives, raisins and potatoes.
Forfar bridie
This crimped Scottish pasty combines shortcrust pastry with a filling of minced steak, butter, beef suet and salt and pepper – sometimes onions, too.
Welsh Oggie
Similar to a Cornish pasty, the Welsh oggie was popular among Welsh tin miners – just like their Cornish counterparts – and often made with mutton or lamb and mint, or leek.
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