Saltenas are a Bolivian pastry filled with meat, spices, olives, and vegetables. They are a form of empanadas and are time-consuming to make. Saltenas have a sweet element in the dough and filling and are typically eaten with spoons. They are sold as street food and are popular in South America and the east coast of the United States.
From the country of Bolivia comes saltenas, a rich pastry filled with meat, spices, olives and vegetables. Saltenas are a form of empanadas, a Latin-inspired hybrid of pastry and dumplings. Bolivian food is seen by many as time consuming and labor intensive, so saltenas are typically hard to find. However, as empanadas are growing in popularity as a finger food, finding a saltenas store may become easier in the next few years.
The name saltenas is inspired by the city of Salta, Argentina, where the creator of saltenas was originally from. Culinary historians widely acknowledge that Juana Manuela Gorriti created saltenas while living in Bolivia. Saltena literally translates from Spanish as “town of Salta”.
Saltenas taste a little different than empanadas. They have an element of sweetness that is found in both the dough and the filling. The dough is a complex mixture of flour, lard, water and gelatin. This blend results in a soft dough that is packed with flavor and strong enough to coat its filling. The filling is a savory combination of meats, such as chicken or ground beef, cumin, olives, potatoes, raisins, and hard-boiled eggs. The result is a flat-style turnover that is usually eaten with the hands.
Most Bolivians prefer to eat saltenas with one hand, however, as the filling is encased in its own juices, this can be a messy endeavour. Spoons are the recommended utensil for eating. While many people enjoy saltenas on their own, they’re typically served with llajua, a jalapeno sauce, and mocochinchi, a type of sweet peach tea.
Saltenas are street food, sold throughout the countries of South America and in metropolitan cities on the east coast found in the United States. They are so popular that long lines typically form as soon as the saltenas are removed from the oven. In Bolivia, saltenas are enjoyed as a mid-morning snack and vendors are typically out of stock by 11am
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