EPICURIOUS: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON EMPANADAS.

• Position: Recipe

It is difficult to say from where exactly the empanada originated. Some say that the Muslims from North Africa, who invaded Spain, brought empanadas with them, while others say it was the Spanish who invented this dish. And still, others say it was first spotted in Persia. Regardless of its origins, the empanada is really delicious and very popular here in New York. It is a lot like a samosa, but commonly shaped like a half or crescent moon.

Empanadas are commonly sold in many eateries, especially Spanish ones. The term comes from the Spanish word 'empanar,' which means breaded. People from the Caribbean Islands also make something similar but they are simply called patties, and Pakistan has a variation too, called the same thing.

But coming back to empanadas, after I ate the first one, numerous others followed. And before I go on, let me give you more details regarding its history.

As mentioned above, some researchers first traced empanadas to Persia. But would you have guessed that this was in 100 BC? Yes, in those days, until more concrete cooling methods were invented, one had to think of how to preserve food. Empanadas were perfect in that sense because they stay preserved for a long time.

They are pocket-sized and could easily be carried by traders and warriors, moving from one place to another. It is made out of pastry dough, usually with a savory filling of any kind - fish, meat, vegetables, etc, and are either baked or fried.

From Persia, it was next traced to the Muslims who invaded Spain from North Africa in 711 AD and lived there for a few centuries. The Muslim influence on Spanish culture and cuisine is very visible in Spain. From here, the Spanish took the empanadas to the Americas, much of which they invaded in the 1500s.

Eating an empanada will magically transfer you back to the days of Cyrus the Great, the Umayyads of Spain's Al-Andalus, the mountains of Mexico or the vibrant festivals of the Americas

Empanadas unite all the cultures of the Americas despite the variations in ingredients and cooking methods. Whether fried or baked, they give off a delicious aroma that makes you want to eat them hungrily. You simply cannot resist. My favourite, in any culture, is always the one with ground beef, peppers, onions, garlic and potatoes. I often make them at home.

Empanadas make a good breakfast, lunch or dinner. They can also be served as appetisers. Some cultures make them sweet, which incidentally brings me to the origins of my...