Bianca Izurieta says she's always nursed a life-long love of empanadas.
When Izurieta was growing up in Sydney, her abuela or grandmother introduced her to the pleasures of this famous, hand-held pie, which arrived in Argentina alongside immigrants from Northern Spain who made their home in Latin America during the 19th century.
She says she never looked back.
"My parents moved from Argentina to Australia in their early twenties and my abuela would make empanadas for special occasions or when the family got together — they're a very traditional dish in Argentina and parts of South America and they’ve always been my favourite thing to eat," Izurieta laughs.
"I've been making them for my friends since I was young, and everyone loved them. [My passion] just grew from there.
In 2015, Izurieta quit a job in corporate travel to start Empanadas Che, making and selling the portable snacks at markets and fairs around the city alongside her mother Cristina Gines.
In March, the pair have attempted to keep up with their growing wholesale business by opening a permanent eatery on Drummoyne's bustling Victoria Road.
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Empanadas
Here, you can sample traditional beef empanadas, a culinary fixture in the plazas and barrios of Buenos Aires. Or you can try the duo's own left-field take on the empanada, which stems from the Spanish word empanar or "to roll in pastry". The pair offer vegan and vegetarian varieties, a sweet version filled with dulche de leche and a Mexicana-inspired version stuffed with black beans. There's even an option that’' popular with locals filled with macaroni and cheese.
"In Argentina, there are many different varieties of empanadas and fillings – Argentinians really love ham and cheese as well as tuna empanadas, but people don’t really go for that here," she says. “Although our background is Argentinian, we offer other dishes from Latin America such as choripan, a chorizo sandwich with chimichurri sauce and a tomato-based sauce that we call salsa criolla. We also serve what we call an 'Arge-Burger' — a hamburger with chimichurri sauce and a beef patty with a miniature cheese empanada on top."
Like the Maltese pastizzi or Indian samosa, texture — the contrast between the crunchy exterior and soft filling — is the hallmark of a quality empanada. At Empanadas Che, empanadas are either baked or fried and the pastry is hand rolled by Gines and made entirely from scratch.
Izurieta says they have played trial and error with many recipes.
"Anything that is deep-fried is usually tastier but because our pastry doesn't absorb the oil, it doesn't make you feel sick or heavy.
"People often ask whether our empanadas are baked or fried. Our recipe is is very different to other empanadas you would try in Sydney. Some people say that these are the best empanadas they’ve ever had."
Izurieta says they're planning longer business hours and hope to start supplying more pubs and restaurants around the city.
Empanadas Che
214 Victoria Rd, Drummoyne
Tuesday to Friday 8am–3pm
Saturday 8am–2pm
