The Filipino Empanada Share By: Philippine Tourist Destinations Published: Monday, December 5th, 2011 Just as there

are many versions of sisig, inasal, and adobo, the variation of Filipinos empanadahas been the subject of culinary experimentations of Pinoy chefs and regional kitchen masters. Truth be told, Vigans ownempanada has been a great income-generating industry for natives of Ilocos, Sur. Although believed to be Tex-Mex in nature,empanada in the country has been offered to suit the discriminating taste of Filipinos. True to others claims, empanada has originated from countries in Europe as well as some regions in South America like Chile and Argentina. Similar to a Meat Pastry Turnover, empanadaforms a shell-like bread using flour and is filled with seafood, meat, cheese, vegetable, or fruit (usually raisins). Vigans empanada, however, is made up of grated green papaya, toge, and shredded carrots. Its also stuffed with the special Vigan longganisa and a whole egg. Fried to a crisp, Ilocos Surs empanada is a taco-like delicacy that is patronized by both locals and tourists alike. In the streets of Metro Manila cities and sub-urban part of the archipelago, different empanadas are also being sold. In small eateries and even five-star hotels and posh restaurants, empanada is sometimes a delectable part of a dining places menu. Typically served in small diners and canteens are different flavors of empanada (chicken, pork, tuna) sold at Php15- Php30. Flavors like such may be eaten as breakfast (best with coffee), lunch (as an appetizer), or dinner (or as a light snack served with any juice desired). Some Pinoys love eating empandas with other local food like pancit bihon. LaoageyesnewlookforfamousIlocanoempanada By Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon Thursday 10th of May 2012 LAOAG CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The city government of Laoag is planning to improve the packaging of Ilocos famous stuffed bread snack, empanada to make the delicacy more attractive and convenient to carry around. Laoag mayor Michael Farias said city employees are now doing a research on the best packaging material for the empanada to give the Ilocano snack a new look. Farias said the city government will create the packaging design and distribute them to empanada vendors around the city. The city government has started coordinating with the Departments of Science and Technology and Trade and Industry to come up with proposed designs. He said he is looking at packing materials that will bear the city governments logo so that the packaging would also be a means to promote Laoag. The idea to improve the empanadas packaging came to mind when the mayor saw how the snack sold like hot cakes during the Holy Week vacation when tourists were seen bringing home dozens of the

snack to their home provinces. He noted the huge business potential that the snack will further generate once its packaging is improved. He said the design will be similar to materials used by fast-food chains in keeping their take-out orders. He said the packing material will make it convenient for tourists who wish to bring home the snack as pasalubong (give away) when they go back to their homes. At present, the snack is placed individually in brown paper bags while those bought in bulk are placed in plastic bags. The city government is looking at creating a packaging material that will be used to wrap the empanada that is bought in volume. It is also looking at a separate packaging material for other famous Ilocano food such as the bagnet and longganisa. Empanada, made of grated papaya topped with egg and longganisa and wrapped in an orange-colored crust, has been a known delicacy by the Ilocanos. Empanada Nation: Ilocos Treats in the Metro
2011-12-23

I've been to provinces in Visayas and Mindanao but I haven't explored much of Luzon just yet and so far, I've only been to Subic, Pampanga, Batangas, Tagaytay, Bicol and Baguio. Been dreaming of visiting Ilocos for the longest time, mostly because I wanted to see the strip of colonial houses in Vigan and the infamous sand dunes of the region, and of course, taste authentic Ilocos food. My first taste of the Ilocos empanada -- the orange-colored meat pie of the north --was at the WOW Philippines clam shell pavilion in Intramuros that gathered products of every region in the Philippines to showcase to Manila residents and tourists alike. After that experience, the pavilion was closed and so my craving for the Vigan longanisa-filled empanada had to take a back seat until I make that 12-hour or so trip to Ilocos.

Empanada Nation It's a good thing that now there is Empanada Nation to go to whenever I would crave for authentic Ilocos food, including yes, the orange-colored empanada. Empanada Nation started small and opened its first take-out counter store along Roces Avenue corner Scout Tuazon in Quezon City last July 10, 2010. After just three months of operation, it added a dine-in area to accommodate the increasing patrons who crave for the Ilocano taste. To reach more market, they opened the second branch in April 10 of this year at Pearl Drive in Ortigas. Their Ilocano food

offering included Rice Meals -- King's Meal, the best seller fit for a king, features sliced bagnet, two pieces of longanisa, one red salted egg, unlimited special fried rice and KBL or kamatis, bagoong and lasona (Ilocano term for onions); Bagnet Meal with sliced bagnet, half red salted egg, special fried rice and KBL; Longanisa Meal with three pieces longanisa, half red salted egg, special fried rice and KBL; and Sulit Meal with two pieces longanisa, special fried rice and KBL. For their empanadas, they have the Ordinary or Vegan Empanad which contains just vegetables and one egg; the best seller Special Empanada with one egg, one longanisa and vegetables; Double Special Empanada for the longanisa lovers with two pieces longanisa, one egg and vegetables; and the Double-Double Empanada, a super hearty treat with two pieces longanisa, two eggs and vegetables. Want more flavor and fillings or want less due to diet You can custom order your empanada while you wait. And because they wanted to delight their customers even more, they are adding more Ilocano favorites in their menu: Sarabasab, grilled pork belly and liver mixed with tomatoes, onions, and vinegar; Crispy Dinuguan, Ilocano version of dinuguan; Igado, stewed pork entrails; Crispy Bagbagis, crispy intestines similar to chicharon bulaklak; Inabraw, local vegetables cooked with fried or grilled fish and bagoong broth; Pinakbet, local vegetables slow cooked in bagoong with lots of tomatoes; Puqui-Puqui, Ilocano eggplant dish; and Adobong Utong, adobong string beans. Batac and Tabuk: A tale of two (new) cities 09 Saturday Jun 2012 Empanadaan has encouraged a culture of entrepreneurship in the food business because of its most-sought after culinary fare which draws diners from all over the Ilocandia. Because of this, Batac has instituted the Empanada Festival every June 24 to mark its cityhood day. The young fest which depicts the cottage industry of empanada making, barely four years old, topped the first province-wide Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival held in November 2011. Batacs pioneering empanada maker By Cristina Arzadon Inquirer Northern Luzon First Posted 21:52:00 09/14/2010 Filed Under: business, Food GLORIA Aduana Cocson made ?empanada? to raise her seven children, but she turned out feeding the community with what became an iconic Ilocano meat and vegetable pastry. Cocson began kneading her empanada dough recipe at 20, a skill she learned from a sister-in-law. Back in 1962, only seven empanada makers, mostly elderly women, sold the delicacy at the old public market in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Then the youngest maker, Cocson competed with the more skilled ones and hoped to earn an income to feed her family. She was solely raising her children after her husband left them.

She started her business in a market corner in Batac, placing her cooking wares on a bamboo table topped by an umbrella. Nearly five decades later, she now runs four stalls, two of which belong to her daughter, Glomy. The stalls occupy more than half of the Batac Riverside Empanada building that the city government built for its famous product. Her other daughter also set up an empanada business with her husband in La Union. There is no competition among family members. I wanted them to have their business of their own. If I was able to share my skills with other people, all the more that I would teach my children so they can earn their own keep,? Cocson says. Cocson has been credited for pushing the delicacy to the level of a multimillion-peso fast food treat. I run my business on loan. I would get my supplies through credit then pay them back once I earn my profit. I really don?t have a capital to speak of,? she says. Cocson was given a Lifetime Achievement award in 2008 by the nongovernment Gameng Foundation for her contribution to the enrichment of Ilocano heritage. The lowly street food was given a significant place in Batac?s history, being an industry that made the city distinct and by bringing huge revenues for the local government. It has become an income provider for residents, most of them farmers. Residents have been celebrating the Empanada Festival every June since 2008. Now 68, Cocson says business was better when there were few competitors and even with a snack as plain as shredded papaya and mung beans wrapped in an orange-blended crescent crust. Going Ilocano with Empanada Nation by Juan Manila Manila, Philippines Coinciding with the stores first year in the food business, Empanada Nation celebrated their first anniversary with a lunch meet and greet with the bloggers inside their Sgt. Esguerra branch. Empanada Nation first opened as a take-out counter store in Roces Avenue corner Sct. Tuazon, Quezon City in 2010. Three months after, they added a dine-in area to accommodate their increasing patrons of customers. On April 10, they opened their second branch in Ortigas. The latest store is now located at Sgt. Esguerra, just near the two giant local TV networks in Quezon City. I was privileged to participate the lunch gathering and was able to meet Venice Marie Velasco, one of Empanada Nations founder, owner and business partner. In between stories of Empanada Nations brief history, we were treated with a Kings Meal lunch. a meal fitted for a king -as they say, the treat included a Bagnet, longanisa, itlog na pula, KBL (kamatis, bagoong and lasona Ilocano term for onions) and unlimited special fried rice. They also served us with Sarabasab grilled pork belly and liver mixed with tomatoes, onions and vinegar; Crispy Dinuguan, Igado, Crispy Bagbagis, Pinakbet and Puqui-puqui a funny name for a unique eggplant Ilocano dish. After the sumptuous treat, and as if it was the last meal of our life, a monstrous Special Empanada was served to us. Their best seller for the empanada, it has one egg, one longanisa and vegetable mixed altogether then wrapped and deep fried until the crispy empanada is cooked.