From the dumpling to the éclair, some of the tastiest food in the world comes in packed pockets, full of flavour.
Click start to play today’s Word Search, where you’ll be left salivating over pastries, snacks and dishes that all involve delicious stuffing.
Let’s dive deeper into some items from our puzzle today:
1. Empanada
These savoury, hand-sized pies can be found all over South America, the Philippines and Spain. Although each region has its unique way of crafting the pie, they all follow the same basic guideline – a soft pocket of dough, stuffed with a mouthwatering savoury filling. The word empanada means ‘bread-wrapped’ and is thought to have first appeared in Argentina, when immigrants from Spain brought over their recipes for larger, double-crusted pies that were cut into slices. Once in South America, the empanada evolved into individual pocket pies, with limitless options for fillings – from swiss chard prepared with salsa blanca, to ground or minced beef, cheese or chicken. Today, they’re enjoyed all around the world as the perfect snack!
2. Kachori
Stuffed snacks, like samosas and kachoris, are a staple of Indian street food. Kachori, particularly, is a flaky, deep-fried, circular snack that traces its origins to the Marwaris in India, who were pioneers of trade and commerce in the country. The story goes, that Marwaris had access to some of the best produce, since many trade routes passed through Marwar. As pure vegetarians, they crafted kachoris as a snack to eat while dealing with business affairs. Traditionally filled with ‘thanda masala’ (cool masala), the kachoris comprised coriander and fennel seeds, along with turmeric and other spices, to suit the climate. Today, you’ll be able to find all kinds of kachori – for instance, some parts of India fill it with lentils that are crumbled and converted into a paste, and others transform it into a dessert, with mawa (milk solids) and varq (edible silver foil).
3. Éclair
A standard in every bakery, éclairs are long, light French pastries, made from choux pastry and filled with pastry cream or custard. The éclair is dipped in fondant or ganache icing as a final touch. The word éclair means ‘lightning’ in French – a reference to how fast you’ll finish it once you get a taste. It’s thought to have made its appearance in the 1860s, and can be traced to French chef Antonin Careme, who is responsible for other incredible desserts, like the Charlotte and Napoleon cake.
What is your favourite snack? Play today’s Word Search and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
