In Costa Rica an empanada (Spanish)is a stuffed pastry fried. The name comes from the Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.
Empanadas are made by folding dough or bread around stuffing.
Costa Rican empanadas are normally made with a corn dough filled with seasoned meats (pork, beef, or chicken), or cheese, beans, or cubed potato stew, and then folded and fried. A typically sweet version made with wheat dough is filled with guava, pineapple, chiverre, or any other jelly and dulce de leche, and baked. Another version is made with sweet plantain dough, filled with seasoned beans and cheese, and then fried. Empanadas filled with gallo pinto are becoming a popular alternative for active people who need a quick breakfast.
In the Limón province, the are variation of empanadas called patí filled with a spicy stuffing, and also platin-ta (derived from the English “plantain tart”) which is sweet.
