Empanadas Colombianas

Colombian empanadas are fundamentally different from their Argentine or Chilean cousins. Instead of wheat flour, the dough is made from yellow corn masa, which fries up to a spectacular crunch that shatters at first bite. The traditional filling is a simple but deeply flavored mixture of seasoned ground beef and potatoes, spiced with cumin and colored with annatto. These crescent-shaped parcels are fried until they turn a vivid deep gold, then served piping hot with aji picante, the ubiquitous Colombian hot sauce made from cilantro, scallions, and chili. Found at every street corner, bus station, and family gathering across Colombia, empanadas are the ultimate Colombian street food and a source of fierce regional pride.