Everything you wanted to know about Filipino Ilocos Empanada
The empanada is a pastry or bread that originated in Spain and Portugal. It remained popular in several other countries like the Philippines
The famous orange empanada is in every corner of Ilocos province in the Philippines. I will admit I didn't enjoy it the first time I tried it. It's different from the usual empanadas I am used to. The strong taste of its vinegar dip seems odd to me, which is so common in the province of Ilocos (they used Sukang Iloko or Ilocos Vinegar). It's not until I visited Ilocos and tasted their original versions that I started to love it.
Where is Ilocos?
Ilocos is a province in the Philippines and is known for many things like the sights, culture, and the food. And if talking about must-try food in Ilocos, empanadas should be at the top of the list.
What is Ilocos Empanada?
The Ilocos empanada is as uncommon as it can get, from the large, orange outer shell, to the scrumptious filling inside.
As is often the case with any cultural exchange, the Spanish empanada has been adjusted to fit the local area’s culture and traditions. Since the ingredients used are so abundant in that region, they decided to use those instead. And since baking is not a traditional way of cooking in Ilocos, the empanadas are deep-fried rather than baked.
What's inside the Ilocos Empanada?
Creating the Ilocos empanada is both an art and science, with many attesting to how difficult it is to make. It is such a sight to see the Ilocos empanada artisans creating each empanada by hand, and producing every piece perfectly.
Empanadas in Ilocos usually have savory fillings of green papaya, mung beans, and sometimes chopped Ilocano sausage (chorizo) or longaniza and egg yolk. They used annatto seeds as a natural food color to achieve its orange color. The dough is then fried for a crunchier shell.
There have also been people who make empanada filled with mashed eggplant, scrambled eggs, and cabbage, which they call poqui poqui.
Seeing how a foreign dish brought into the Philippines evolved into a Filipino delicacies, made me realize how innovative Filipinos are, especially when it comes to cooking. I can truly say that Filipinos, be it Ilocanos or any Filipino local, has a way of making everything unique.
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Comments (2)
Those good!
Never tried any but would love to.