{{Short description|Fried pastry traditional in Spain, Latin America, and the southwestern United States}} {{Infobox prepared food | name = Sopaipilla | image = Sopapillas.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = New Mexican dessert sopapillas | country = Chile, Mexico | region = South America | course = Sopaipilla | served = | main_ingredient = Leavening agent, wheat dough (or wheat flour and masa harina), shortening or butter | variations = | calories = | other = }}
A '''sopaipilla''', '''sopapilla''', '''sopaipa''', '''torta frita''' or '''cachanga'''<ref name="BoxMurphy">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PyHgIgRBIcMC&pg=PA506 |title=Peru Handbook |isbn=9781903471517 |via=google.com |access-date=26 January 2015 |last1=Box |first1=Ben |last2=Murphy |first2=Alan |year=2003 |publisher=Footprint Handbooks |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090923/https://books.google.com/books?id=PyHgIgRBIcMC&pg=PA506 |url-status=live }}</ref> is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in several regions with Spanish heritage in the Americas.{{refn|name=note 1|group=note|The places where sopaipilla are served include Argentina,<ref name=Cuyo/> Bolivia,<ref name=Cuyo/> Chile,<ref name=Cuyo/><ref name="Burford">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g6k3ftoWSSAC |title=Chile: The Bradt Travel Guide |last=Burford |first=Tim |page=87 |date=March 2005 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=9781841620763 }}</ref> New Mexico (U.S.),<ref>{{cite book | last=Chávez |first=Thomas E. | title=New Mexico Past and Future |publisher=University of New Mexico Press | date=1 October 2006 |isbn=0-8263-3444-X}}</ref> Colorado (U.S.),<ref>{{cite news|last=Painter|first=Kristen|title=Casa Bonita celebrates 40 years of sopapillas and cliff diving|url=http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25443806/casa-bonita-celebrates-40-years-sopapillas-and-cliff|access-date=March 30, 2014|newspaper=The Denver Post|date=March 28, 2014|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233227/http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25443806/casa-bonita-celebrates-40-years-sopapillas-and-cliff|url-status=live}}</ref> Peru,<ref name="BoxMurphy"/> Texas (U.S.),<ref name=Texas/> Uruguay<ref name=Uruguay/> and Northern Mexico.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saboramexico.com.mx/sabor/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2393:sopaipilla&catid=68:reposteria-mexicana&Itemid=393|title=Sopaipilla|author=Sabor a Mexico|work=saboramexico.com.mx|access-date=26 January 2015|archive-date=24 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524095609/http://www.saboramexico.com.mx/sabor/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2393:sopaipilla&catid=68:reposteria-mexicana&Itemid=393|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of Al-Andalus.<ref name=mujer/> The original Mozarabic word {{lang|mxi|Xopaipa}} was used to mean bread soaked in oil. The word is derived in turn from the Germanic word {{lang|gem|suppa}}, which meant bread soaked in liquid.<ref name=Cuyo>Correa, Adriana. [http://www.diariodecuyo.com.ar/home/new_noticia.php?noticia_id=368853 Comida de larga tradición] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173943/http://www.diariodecuyo.com.ar/home/new_noticia.php?noticia_id=368853 |date=2016-03-03 }} Diario de Cuyo</ref>
A sopaipilla is traditionally made from leavened wheat dough (or a mixture of wheat flour and masa harina) to which some shortening such as butter is added. After being allowed to rise, the dough is rolled into a sheet that is then cut into circular, square or triangular shapes, 8–10 cm in size for the longest dimension (if intended for a dessert) or 15–20 cm (if intended to be stuffed for a main course). These pieces are then deep-fried in oil, sometimes after being allowed to rise further before frying: the frying causes them to puff up, ideally forming a hollow pocket in the center.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stradley|first=Linda|date=2015-04-21|title=Sopapillas Recipe|url=https://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/Sopapillas/Sopapillas.htm|access-date=2021-03-31|website=What's Cooking America|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412040640/https://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/Sopapillas/Sopapillas.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
==History== In ancient times, frying cakes was a primitive substitute for baking, requiring only fire and a simple vessel. Dishes of similar type have been developed independently across countless cultures on each habitable continent.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Castella |first1=Krystina |title=A World of Cake |date=2012 |publisher=Storey Publishing |page=216 |isbn=9781603424462 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z20XOWapBCEC&pg=PA216 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090923/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z20XOWapBCEC&pg=PA216 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sopaipilla is a version found in Latin American cuisine, Tex-Mex cuisine and the cuisine of the Southwestern United States.
==Variations==
There are yeasted and quick bread variations of sopaipillas. Some batters are enriched by the addition of pumpkin ({{langx|es|zapallo}}).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sncheider |first1=Deborah |title=Rustic Mexican |date=2017 |publisher=Weldon Owen |isbn=9781681887166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WRz0DwAAQBAJ&dq=sopaipilla+yeasted&pg=PT155 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090902/https://books.google.com/books?id=WRz0DwAAQBAJ&dq=sopaipilla+yeasted&pg=PT155 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Argentina=== thumb|Torta frita, Argentina and Uruguay In Argentina, this pastry is known under other names apart from sopaipa, supaipa and sopaipilla including ''torta frita'', ''kreppel'' (from regional German ''Kreppel''), and ''chipá cuerito''.<ref name=Cuyo/>
===Chile=== [[Image:Sopaipillas chilenas.jpg|thumb|right|Central Chilean sopaipillas ''pasadas'' (soaked), with and without chancaca sauce]]
In Chile, sopaipillas (or sopaipas) are known to have been eaten at least since 1726.<ref name="mujer">{{cite web|url=http://mujer.latercera.com/2009/10/18/01/contenido/23_546_9.html|title=¿Por qué se llaman como se llaman?|trans-title=Why are they called what they're called?|last=San Juan|first=Verónica|work=Revista Mujer|publisher=La Tercera|language=es|access-date=21 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329142826/http://mujer.latercera.com/2009/10/18/01/contenido/23_546_9.html|archive-date=29 March 2010}}</ref> Although traditional Chilean sopaipillas made in central Chile include cooked ground pumpkin in their dough, this is typically not the case in the south.<ref name=Cuyo/> Depending if they are served as a pastry or bread Chilean sopaipillas are traditionally served with either pebre (a sauce of chili pepper, onion, garlic and coriander) or boiled in ''chancaca'' sauce (a homemade hot syrup cooked with panela, orange peel and cinnamon, and then they are called ''sopaipillas pasadas''). They are also served with mustard, ketchup, hot butter, avocado or cheese.<ref name=Cuyo/><ref name="Burford"/><ref name=mujer/> In Chile sopaipillas are traditionally homemade and eaten during days of heavy rain,<ref name=Cuyo/> as well as enjoying widespread popularity as street food, especially during winter. Chilean sopaipillas are round and flat, sporting holes pricked through the centre of the dough, usually by a fork.
[[Image:Sopaipillas pasadas.jpg|thumb|right|''Sopaipillas pasadas'' is the name given to Central Chilean sopaipillas served with chancaca sauce]] thumb|Sopaipillas from the Chiloé Archipelago In the Chiloé Archipelago to the south, sopaipillas have a rhomboid form. They are a relevant ingredient in ''reitimientos'', a traditional feast related to rendering fats after a pig slaughter.
===Peru=== In Peru, the name for this fried pastry is ''cachanga'', and it may be either sweet or sour.<ref name="BoxMurphy"/><ref name="Assets">{{cite web|url=http://www.mis-recetas.org/recetas/show/7954-cachanga|title=Cachanga|author=llajua|date=25 June 2009|work=Cookpad|access-date=26 January 2015|archive-date=2 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102014558/http://www.mis-recetas.org/recetas/show/7954-cachanga|url-status=live}}</ref> Generally prepared during breakfast time, this traditional food of the Peruvian cuisine is prepared differently depending on the region,<ref name="Assets"/> with one of the recipes involving the usage of cinnamon.<ref name="BoxMurphy"/> The main difference between this form of sopaipilla and the other versions is that they<!-- Which: THIS form, or the OTHER L.Am. versions? --> are larger, thinner, and more rigid.<ref name="Assets"/>
===United States===
Sopapillas in New Mexican cuisine are pillow-shaped fried pastry dough, distinct from Latin American variations. Similar to Native American frybread,<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Ellen |title=Donut Nation: A Cross-Country Guide to America S Best Artisan Donut Shops |date=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7J6yCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA191 |page=191 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=9780762455256 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090916/https://books.google.com/books?id=7J6yCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA191 |url-status=live }}</ref> they are typically served as a bread, and used to mop up sauces, scoop up tidbits, dab up flavors, or are shredded into stews. It has been called "the doughnut of the Southwest", while other authors have said "this non-yeasted, simply flavored bread is definitely not a donut, but it's not really a fritter either".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kane |first1=Adrienne |title=United States of Bread |date=2014 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=9780762455454 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUPRAwAAQBAJ |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090903/https://books.google.com/books?id=jUPRAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hegeman |first1=Linda |last2=Hayford |first2=Barbara |title=Coffeetime Indulgences |date=1995 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |page=20 |isbn=9780312136178 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uLrjmaCiFM8C&dq=Sopaipilla+doughnut&pg=PA20 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090903/https://books.google.com/books?id=uLrjmaCiFM8C&dq=Sopaipilla+doughnut&pg=PA20 |url-status=live }}</ref>
They are also commonly served as an appetizer, served with honey.
As a relatively recent innovation, originating in northern New Mexico, sopaipillas are often filled with savory ingredients such as ground beef or chicken, covered with chile and cheese, heated, and served with lettuce and tomato as an entree. They are also eaten as a dessert, drizzled with honey or anise syrup.
Sopaipillas in Tex-Mex cuisine are a puffed pastry, but otherwise similar to New Mexican-style sopaipillas, except that they are always served as a dessert item, coated with cinnamon sugar and served with honey.<ref>{{cite web |last=Levin |first=Joe |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/sopaipillas-recipe/ |title=How to Make Sopaipillas |date=23 February 2017 |publisher=Texasmonthly.com |access-date=2019-08-20 |archive-date=2020-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107042516/https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/sopaipillas-recipe/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Many Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma will serve dessert sopaipillas<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tabletop.texasfarmbureau.org/2016/09/sopapillas/ |title=Sopapillas - Texas Farm Bureau - Table Top |publisher=Tabletop.texasfarmbureau.org |access-date=2019-08-20 |archive-date=2021-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418001925/https://tabletop.texasfarmbureau.org/2016/09/sopapillas/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/01/sopapillas-with-side-of-honey.html |title=Sopaipillas with a side of honey |publisher=Homesick Texan |date=2007-01-29 |access-date=2019-08-20 |archive-date=2020-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424174730/https://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/01/sopapillas-with-side-of-honey.html |url-status=live }}</ref> as part of the complimentary "set-up": chips and salsa served before the meal, along with sometimes queso sauce, pickled vegetables and flour tortillas and sopaipillas served at the end of the meal.
Sopaipilla and strudel were together designated as Texas' state pastries from 2003 to 2005.<ref name=Texas>{{cite web |url=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/symbols.html |title=Texas State Symbols |work=Texas State Library & Archives Commission website |date=10 August 2009 |access-date=21 April 2008 |archive-date=24 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224225130/https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/symbols.html%20 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Uruguay=== In Uruguay, a variant of the sopaipilla is known as {{Language with name/for|es|torta frita|fried cake}}. They are made of flour, salt and water and shortened with tallow, stretched into a thin large sheet of dough (20-25 cm), and fried in tallow. They are usually salty, but it is a common custom to cover them with sugar or quince cheese and eat them as a snack.<ref name=Uruguay>{{cite web|url=http://www.montevideo.gub.uy/ciudad/cultura/costumbres/torta-frita-cuando-llueve|title=Torta Frita Cuando Llueve|publisher=Montevideo.gub.uy|access-date=2010-11-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426044739/http://www.montevideo.gub.uy/ciudad/cultura/costumbres/torta-frita-cuando-llueve|archive-date=2011-04-26}}</ref> They are commonly prepared on rainy days.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Una receta para hacer buenas tortas fritas para este día lluvioso |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/una-receta-para-hacer-buenas-tortas-fritas-para-el-fin-de-semana-lluvioso-que-se-viene-2022715134748 |access-date=2025-07-21 |website=El Observador |language=es-UY}}</ref>
==See also== {{portal|Latin America|Food}} * Buñuelo * Fry bread * Gnocco fritto * List of quick breads * List of doughnut varieties * List of fried dough varieties * Dessert chimichangas
==Notes== {{Reflist|group=note}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==Further reading== *{{cite book | editor=Sheila MacNiven Cameron | title=The Best from New Mexico Kitchens | publisher=New Mexico Magazine | year=1978 | isbn=0-937206-00-8}}
==External links== * [http://www.yourdictionary.com/sopaipilla "sopaipilla"], ''Webster's New World College Dictionary'' * [http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/snacksstreetfood/r/sopaipilla.htm Chilean-Style Sopapillas, or Pumpkin Fritters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426045508/http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/snacksstreetfood/r/sopaipilla.htm |date=2010-04-26 }} from The Spruce Eats * [http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/Sopapillas/Sopapillas.htm How to Make New Mexico Style Sopaipillas]
{{Doughnut}} {{Chilean bread}}
Category:American doughnuts Category:Argentine cuisine Category:Bolivian cuisine Category:Chilean breads Category:Cuisine of the Southwestern United States Category:Doughnuts Category:Cuisine of New Mexico Category:Peruvian cuisine Category:Quick breads Category:Tex-Mex cuisine Category:Uruguayan cuisine Category:Mexican desserts Category:Mexican cuisine Category:Mexican breads