The Argentine clásico stood out in the TasteAtlas ranking, which evaluated traditional recipes from more than 30 countries
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The Tucumán empanada has earned a place in world gastronomy by ranking number10 on the "100 Best Savory Pastries in the World", according to the survey published by the prestigious culinary magazine Taste Atlas.
The list, compiled from over 5,000 user reviews as of August 16, 2025, recognized recipes from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In total, 9,911 ratings were recorded, of which 5,363 were validated as authentic.
"These empanadas are a specialty of Tucumán and very different from those found in Buenos Aires. They are characterized by a crispy dough and ideal proportions of dough and filling," highlighted Taste Atlas.
The flavors that led the ranking
The top 10 of the list included preparations with great tradition in different countries:
Pazarske mantije (Serbia) – small dough spheres with ground meat.
Burek (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – phyllo dough filled with meat, a cultural symbol of the region.
Banitsa with cheese (Bulgaria) – pastry with eggs, yogurt, and local white cheese.
Karipap (Malaysia) – small empanada filled with thick chicken and potato curry.
Burek sa sirom (Serbia and the Balkans) – phyllo dough variant with cheese and egg.
Focaccia di Recco col formaggio (Italy) – flatbread with stracchino, typical of Liguria.
Pastel (Brazil) – street-fried pastry with meat, chicken, or mozzarella fillings.
Paçanga böreği (Türkiye) – phyllo dough with cured meat and kasar cheese.
Sirnica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – spiral pastry with fresh cheese and egg.
Empanada tucumana (Argentina) – the only Argentine recipe among those selected.
El ranking según Taste Atlas.
Tucumán pride
The Tucumán empanada stood out not only for its flavor, but also for its cultural roots. Its dough, made from flour and beef fat, and its traditional filling of beef, chicken, or tripe, mixed with onion, hard-boiled egg, paprika, and cumin, made up the recipe that won over the popular jury.
El repulgue de las empandas de carne.
The clay oven, still used in many Tucumán homes and popular festivals, gives it that distinctive touch: crispy dough and intense flavor.
From Taste Atlas it was noted that their rankings are not intended to be absolute truths, but rather to revalue local cuisine and spark curiosity about traditional recipes. In that spirit, the Tucumán empanada was recognized as a symbol of Argentine identity and a must-stop for lovers of fine dining.
