National Empanada Day

National Empanada Day, observed on April 8th, celebrates the stuffed pastry beloved across Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, made by folding dough around a savory or sweet filling and then baking or frying it until golden. The word "empanada" derives from the Spanish verb "empanar," meaning "to wrap or coat in bread," and the dish's origins trace back to Galicia, Spain, where similar stuffed pastries were documented as early as the 16th century, likely influenced by earlier Middle Eastern and Mediterranean meat pies brought to Spain through centuries of cultural exchange. Spanish and Portuguese colonization spread the empanada throughout Latin America, where it took on countless regional variations reflecting local ingredients and culinary traditions, from Argentina's beef, onion, and hard-boiled egg-filled empanadas, often baked in a distinctive crimped shape unique to each province, to Colombian empanadas made with a cornmeal-based dough and filled with potato and meat, to Chilean empanadas de pino featuring a mix of beef, olives, and raisins. The dish's portable, handheld nature made it a practical food for workers and travelers historically, a quality that continues to make it popular street food today. On this day, fans of the dish celebrate by trying new regional varieties or making their own empanadas at home.