Empanadas

Do you use "empanadas in context of Mexican culture"?

I use it very often.

0

I use it sometimes.

0

I've heard it but I never use it.

2

I've never heard of this word.

0

I want to revoke my vote

There were 2 votes since the poll was created on 06:56, 9 June 2015.

poll-id 538467977AAEF84BA01524B4E18F7D9C

Do you use "empanadas in context of Salvadorian culture"?

I use it very often.

0

I use it sometimes.

0

I've heard it but I never use it.

1

I've never heard of this word.

0

I want to revoke my vote

There was one vote since the poll was created on 06:56, 9 June 2015.

poll-id 8D2E25C4C1FC2E4479D4F77E3503142F

Disclaimer: When it comes to understanding the spanophone community anywhere it is important to situate the variety of Spanish which dominates that particular community, especially when there are a minority of Spanish speakers who do not share the same perspective on same words as the group in majority which holds the dominance. In the case of the spanophone community at Northwestern it is crucial to place its context within that of the Chicagoland area. Despite Northwestern being located in Evanston, IL, Chicago’s Latino immigrant population greatly influences the university’s approach to the Spanish speaking community. Chicago’s largest Hispanic/Latino demographic is made up of primarily of Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans. The university is a reflection of this as it displays a Mexican Spanish interpretation for all things regarding the spanophone community. Below is an example of this situation compiled by my personal experiences, coming from a Salvadorian background, as well as from the feedback collected from my consultants, also Northwestern undergraduate students, which come from Mexican and Dominican backgrounds.

Part of Speech

Noun

Pronunciation

Empanadas [ɛmpaˈnadas] [em pah 'nah dahs]

Anglicized transcription: [ɛmpəˈnɑːdəs]

Description

1. In Mexican and Dominican culture it is a savory dish made up of dough which can then be filled with cheese or any type of meat that are typically fried.
2. In Salvadorian culture it is considered a dessert made up from mashed up plantains as the outer layer filled with condensed milk inside and sugar coated that is baked. Since it is a dish it usually has more than one empanada hence empanadas ending with an -s to be plural.

The Mexican culture interpretation of empanadas (top); the Salvadorian culture interpretation (bottom).

Usage

Empanadas are most commonly used within the Latin American community to refer to the dish in Latin American culture. Anyone can use it is not restricted.

Example Sentences

1. Empanadas are deep fried goodness.
2. I want an empanada for dessert.

Note: In order to convey the different interpretations of the word the example sentences use code switching between Spanish and English.