The History of Sopapillas
Sopapillas are a popular Hispanic dish in South America and New Mexico. The deep-fried pastries can be served as a dessert, covered with honey or syrup, or as an entree, stuffed with meat, cheese and peppers.
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About
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A sopapilla is a crispy, deep-fried pastry. It is often served covered with honey or syrup. The pastry is common in Hispanic culture and is a favorite among many Hispanic cuisines. Sopapillas can be served salty or sweet.
Origination
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Sopapillas are thought to have originated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, more than 200 years ago. There are a few stories attributed to the name of the pastries. It is thought to come from the Spanish word "sopaipa," which is used to refer to sweetened fried dough, or from the word "xopaipa," which means bread soaked in oil.
South American Sopapillas
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Sopapillas are popular in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. They can be eaten salty or sweet. In Chile, when sopapillas are eaten sweet, they are fried and then dipped in chancaca, a black beet sugar, and cinnamon. If they are eaten salty, they can be eaten with ketchup or mustard.
New Mexican Sopapillas
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New Mexican sopapillas are made from tortilla-like dough. The dough is fried until it is puffy and a small air pocket appears within the pastry. In New Mexico, sweet sopapillas are often covered in honey or some kind of syrup and powdered sugar. Stuffed sopapillas are also popular in New Mexico. They are prepared the same way but instead of honey and sugar, the pastries are stuffed with ingredients such as refried beans, cheese, peppers and meat.
Facts
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Sopapillas are popular in New Mexican cuisines and are served in almost every New Mexican-style and Tex-Mex restaurant. Mexican cuisines doesn't usually include sopapillas, but have a dish called buñuelo, a very similar sweet pastry type food.
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