Pastries: Ethnic Contributions

Virtually all immigrant groups have contributed pastries to American foodways. Beyond the nearly limitless pies and tarts, signature ethnic specialties include fried Spanish churros sold as street food in Latino communities, along with savory empanadas, and cornmeal turnovers. Pennsylvania Dutch funnel cakes appear at fairs. Central Europeans introduced gossamer strudels, while Greeks use similar, papery filo dough in nutty, honey-drenched baklava. French chou paste creates éclairs and cream puffs, while puff pastry is deliberately restrained in baking to yield crisp napoleons or allowed to explode for patty shells called “vol-au-vents,” literally, “soaring on the wind.” Among the many pastries of the Italians are fried cannoli and baked sfogliatelle. Even the Chinese, with a relatively limited range of sweet pastries, brought almond cookies and invented the Chinese American fortune cookie.