The History of Sopapillas

Sopapillas, also called sopaipillas, are deep-fried dough pockets served in many Latin American and South American countries, and in Spanish-speaking regions of North America. They are a simple bread traditionally made from wheat, leavening and shortening, then cut into circles, squares or triangles and fried in hot oil until they puff. Deep-fried bread is no New World innovation -- versions of sopapillas existed in European and Middle Eastern kitchens. The Spanish word for this delicacy is "sopaipa," a term that derives from the Mozarabic language of medieval Islamic Spain, where the fried bread was likely first introduced.