Enchiladas

The etymology of food names is a vast and fascinating subject. Some foods are named after the person who invented them, others after an area and some have their names directly lifted from the language of their country of origin.

One example of this is the enchilada. With a name deriving from the Spanish word ‘enchilar’ meaning ‘to season with chilli’ the name of the dish is a direct description of how it is made. In a similar vein, empanadas (a type of pasty) have a name derived from ‘empanar’ meaning ‘to coat in bread’.

Enchiladas were originally eaten as a street food and were unfilled tortillas dipped in a chilli sauce. Since then, they have evolved and been combined with other stuffed foods to created the dish that is known today. There are no strict rules as to what you can fill…