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Morita – Empanadas Caseras

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Morita – Empanadas Caseras

  • October 28, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by SeenThat from Tel Aviv, Israel
Morita – Empanadas Caseras

101: A Short Introduction to Empanadas Theory

Literally, "empanada" means "within bread" in Spanish and refers not to a sandwich, but to a turnover that is cooked in an oven or fried in oil. Very popular, it is consumed at all hours in most of South America.

Despite the reluctance of Argentineans to use chili in food – fact that introduces an artificial barrier to the variety and richness of the dish – few cities in the continent offer the variety in taste and shape of the "empanada porteña," the empanada prepared in Buenos Aires. Moreover, the vast majority of the empanadas consumed here are prepared in the oven, creating thus an additional limitation, though this one is of the healthy type.

As always, the local varieties depend on the available ingredients and the serving on local customs. In Buenos Aires, the dish is served dry; there is no chili or any other spices on the tables of the establishments serving it. There is no point of asking for them, chili and similar spices are banned from the local lexicon. Despite that, the dish is tasty and offers many varieties, which are usually differentiated by shape. Here are listed the most commonvarieties:

Con Carne: containing minced meat and little else, these empanadas tend to be quite dry and hollow; some places serve a variation made with chunks of meat.

Con Pollo: these are filled with chicken and sometimes feature veggies as a bonus. Like the meat empanadas, the chicken ones often have a semi-circular shape.

Con Jamon y Queso: filled with ham and cheese, these empanadas are among the most popular ones. Several varieties of cheese can be found, including Roquefort. More often than not, they have a circular shape.

Humita: this one is an adaptation of the dish of the same name, which is typical of the northwestern part of the country.

Con Cebolla y Queso: filled with onions and cheese, these empanadas are very popular and especially tasty. While ordering, use the Argentinean pronunciation of onion: "se-BOH-shah."

Con Albahaca, Tomate y Mozzarella: resembling a small Italian calzone, this empanada tastes more than any other one like a pizza.

Salteñas and Tucumanas: following the northwestern fashion I have described in my Cochabamba journal, these empanadas are difficult to find in Buenos Aires; though Flores and the Bolivian neighborhoods of Buenos Aires offer them.

102: Morita – Empanadas Caseras

Morita – Empanadas Caseras ("Morita – Homey Empanadas") is a popular empanadas and pizza joint in Buenos Aires downtown. Located on Viamonte 977, it is at walking distance from the Obelisco, and Lavalle and Florida walking streets; thus it is an ideal place to stop and investigate the dish while touring downtown, especially since it serves types of empanadas hard to find elsewhere.

The establishment offers just a few basic tables, a bar facing the side wall and a large window facing the street. The empanadas are ordered and paid for at the counter and then a waitress brings them to the customer once they are ready, usually after some five minutes.

Morita serves regular and double sized empanadas, the regular ones are served in many unusual variations, including tuna, veggies, and spicy meat in addition to the types already described. However, it is with the double ones where the place excels. These empanadas are huge and of circular shape; atop them, a red ink mark – similar to those used on Chinese mooncakes – tells the customer how they are filled. All of them contain a basic mix of ham and cheese, but to those are added: palm hearts, or tomatoes and eggs, or veggies and egg, or pineapple. The result is outstanding: creative, always fresh and tasty.

103: On Economics and Negotiations Theory

The regular empanadas are offered for a bit less than a dollar (though the exchange rate is rather volatile here), while the double ones are offered for 4ARP ($1.25 at the time of my visit) each. Two doubles or three regulars make a sensible fast lunch, thus these amounts are offered with a soft drink at a small discount from the regular price. Two doubles with a chilled 600ml bottle cost 10ARP (roughly three dollars) while offering a priceless experience.

From journal Buenos Aires without Steaks

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