On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.
Many of us got our first taste of sopapillas by raising the flag.
Doesn't make sense? Well, back when dining out options were fewer and farther
between, Panchos Mexican Buffet was one of the few places where you could
get free sopapillas. After gorging on huge, overfilled plates of
Tex-Mex basics, diners would raise the Mexican flag strategically located on
each table, and our server would dutifully bring us more tea, tacos, or
whatever we wanted-especially sopapillas.
Sopapillas (sometimes referred to as sopaipillas) feature prominently in several Latin
cusines, most notably Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. However, the variety
that appears in most Tex-Mex establishments seems to have been developed in
either Texas or New Mexico.
Chef and food writer Cynthia Derrick-Pineda
suggests that they may have originated in the Albuquerque area some two
hundred years ago. She also notes: "Both sopapillas and tortillas are used
as 'sop' breads, either soaking up the liquids in a dish, or stuffing them
with the foods so they can be eaten without the use of knife and fork. The
recipe for both the tortilla and the sopapilla is virtually the same, the
difference is in the cooking method."
Indeed, sopapillas are nothing more than basic fried dough, as indicated by Matt Martinez recipe in his book Mex-Tex. The ingredients listed are vegetable oil, sugar, cinnamon, and surprisingly, sourdough biscuit dough from a can. He happily adds, "Be prepared to make extra of these---most people will want more than one!" In her own recipe, Derrick-Pineda adds that "If your sopapillas are not puffing properly, the temperature of the oil may need to be increased or decreased."
The Texas Legislature, whose members are noted for puffing themselves up on
a regular basis--sorry--got something right for a change in 2003 when they passed a
resolution declaring both sopapillas and strudel to be the Official State
Pastries of Texas. In the text of HCR Number 92 (provided courtesy of Austin
etymologist Barry Popik), the legislators note that the sopapilla "has been
known to the Tigua (Native American tribe in the El Paso Area) of the Ysleta
del Sur Pueblo as 'Indian fry bread' for well over a hundred years and is
enjoyed by them on a variety of occasions."
Sadly, our esteemed congressmen let the designation expire in 2005.
Luckily, you can still get free sopapillas at Posados Mexican
Restaurant. Granted, they are not the best example of this dish, but
after a hearty meal of old-fashioned Tex-Mex, the little crusts
of dough are quite a welcome sight.
Best of all, your waitperson will
probably ask you near meal's end if you want them. No need to play with a
flag.
