The Nameless Empanadas

By Levi Chen

While adventuring through grastronomy scene in Ithaca, you can find a surprisingly wide range of different cuisines with a solid number of Asian restaurants, a couple of Tex-Mex establishments, and even a popular Ethiopian restaurant. Nonetheless, aside from the few dine-in Mexican restaurants and burrito spots, there seems to be a complete void of representation when it comes to other Hispanic foods. 

That’s why as soon as I stepped foot into Ithaca’s Farmers Market, one of the first stalls that caught my eye was the one-word sign “Empanadas” — no branding or extra information needed, simply just Chilean empanadas. This felt like a breath of fresh air and a genuine attempt at showcasing other Hispanic foods other than tacos or burritos. At $6 dollars an empanada, the portion was considerable, coming with 2 sides of red cabbage salad and pico de gallo. Within the crispy and doughy fried shell, the fillings of the beef empanada contained a mixture of savory ground beef, onions, olives, and raisins, which I found to be perfect complement to the acidity from the lime juice found in the cabbage salad as well as the fresh tomatoes in the pico de gallo. If you are someone who’s mainly stuck to the classic Mexican go-to’s, I would recommend empanadas as a good stepping stone for you to expand your palette and discover even more hispanic dishes you’ll end up loving!