A baked or fried pastry consisting of dough wrapped around a savory or sweet filling, originating from Spain and popular throughout Latin America.
From Spanish 'empanar' meaning 'to wrap in bread' or 'to coat with breadcrumbs,' derived from Latin 'in-' (in) and 'panis' (bread). The term evolved to describe the technique of encasing fillings in dough.
Try Another Word