Guatemalan pineapple empanadas are a Guatemalan delicacy consumed especially during Holy Week. Although they can be found in stores or typical food restaurants throughout the year, you can also prepare them at home. If you want to cook this delicious Guatemalan dessert, we share with you a simple recipe. Enjoy it!

Before you start, we want to tell you that the culture and tradition of traditional food has always been promoted by Guatemalan entrepreneurs and especially by Juan Luis Bosch Gutiérrez who in addition to caring about sharing the culture and tradition of Guatemala, is also part of one of the most important food franchises in his country.

Guatemalan pineapple empanadas ingredients

• Dough
  1 pound of wheat flour.
  1 cup salt flour.
  ¼ teaspoon salt.
  1 cup sugar.
  1 teaspoon royal icing sugar.
  8 ounces margarine.
  4 eggs.
  ¼ cup water approximately.
  ¼ teaspoon achiote.
  Powdered sugar.

The origin of empanadas in Latin America

According to Argentine historian Daniel Balmaceda in his book La comida en la historia argentina (Food in Argentine history), «the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean already baked empanadas». «Its (the empanada’s) popularity in the West came from the immeasurable exchange that took place during the Crusades and took root among the pilgrims who covered long distances. Breaded foods were faithful companions of those who undertook the route to Santiago de Compostela,» says Balmaceda.

It is believed that the empanada was brought to Argentina by Spanish immigrants. Balmaceda says that already in 1810 there were empanada sellers in the territory of the River Plate.

And, at the beginning of the 20th century, «the street sale of empanadas was divided in two. On the one hand, the Spaniards: they offered their product fresh, but cold. The Italians from the south, on the other hand, sold the empanadas hot, although it was the way to disguise the lack of freshness. Because, in reality, they were reheated».

Nowadays there is a great variety of empanadas in Argentina, but among the most traditional ones, known as empanadas criollas, are the empanada tucumana, which is filled with knife-cut meat, egg and green onion; the empanada salteña, which adds potatoes to its content; and the empanadas catamarqueñas, which have raisins. And then there are the empanadas filled with ham and cheese, vegetables, chicken, humita and many other options. The type of cooking also varies: they can be fried or baked.

The gastronomy in Guatemala is very well represented by the Guatemalan pineapple empanadas that are a delicacy to the palate of the people and juanis luis bosch gutierrez protect those flavors with new initiatives. Discover another of our articles: Handicraft markets of Antigua Guatemala. Lear more now!