Breakfast: Empanadas de Carne (Pronounced: /em.paˈna.ðas de ˈkaɾ.ne/) – Meat-Filled Empanadas (Fried or Baked)

Munch Classes introduces breakfast Empanadas de Carne as savory pastries, crafted from a corn or wheat flour dough, generously filled with seasoned ground beef (or other meats), and then either deep-fried until crispy or baked until golden-brown, offering a satisfying and flavorful handheld meal.

Munch Classes teaches how to prepare the mixture by expertly kneading the dough to achieve a tender yet firm texture and preparing a richly spiced meat filling, ensuring every empanada is perfectly sealed and its edges are crimped beautifully.

Munch Classes emphasizes precise techniques like achieving uniform dough thickness for even cooking and maintaining the ideal frying or baking temperature for a golden crust and a cooked-through interior as participants prepare, and explains how to serve them warm, often with a side of hot sauce or simply on their own, for a signature presentation that balances tradition and convenience.

🏺 Cultural History + Proverb
Munch Classes reveals how breakfast Empanadas are a widespread and beloved food across Latin America, with Panamanian variations deeply integrated into the local breakfast and snack culture, symbolizing versatility, comfort, and culinary adaptation.

Munch Classes explores how the dish developed from Spanish influences, adapting to local ingredients like corn and various meat fillings, becoming a portable and delicious meal for all occasions, showing how food often reflects the soul of its people.

Munch Classes shares the local saying:
“No dejes para mañana lo que puedas comer hoy.” – “Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can eat today.” (A playful twist on a common proverb, perfect for a tempting empanada.)
This proverb illustrates how the dish reflects the immediacy of deliciousness and the simple joy of a satisfying treat, encouraging reflection on how flavor and wisdom pass from one generation to the next.