A Culinary Look at Women in History Part 8: Pulperías Then and Now

Mendoza style Argentinian empanadas, recipe below

Colonial Latin American society tended to subordinate and discriminate against women, yet the world of viticulture (wine production) was an exception, which provided women with the opportunity to experience independence firsthand. For example in Mendoza, Argentina, a wine producing region and transport center, a large transient population of merchants and travelers created a demand for food and lodging that female entrepreneurs met with the establishment of pulperías. First started in 1627, locals created the name in association with the sweets these eateries made and sold out of the pulp of tropical fruits in addition to the other foods they kept in stock. More than a space to purchase and drink wine and aguardiente (distilled sugar cane turned into rum), colonial pulperías sold jerked meats, dried fruits, sweet breads, olives, cheeses, and brewed teas to eat on the premises or to go. Today pulperías exist in different parts of rural Latin America regions but they are still largely female owned and operated. Some are more elaborate than others with restaurants and corner stores that sell fried plantains, empanadas, and fresh fruits depend on supply and demand and local food favorites. Here are recipes for Mendoza style empanadas and vegan empanadas:


Traditional Mendoza empanada: http://fromargentinawithlove.typepad.com/from_argentina_with_love/2008/05/empanada-of-the.html

Vegan Argentinian empanada recipe: http://www.ivu.org/recipes/latinam/vegetarian.html