Love for Chile
The story of Empapino: love for Chile, delicious empanadas & inclusive world
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Over 30 years ago, my mother embarked on an extraordinary adventure and moved to Chile. In Santiago, she founded the first centers for people with disabilities. These centers continue to help people with disabilities to this day. During her time in Chile, she made lifelong friendships, met my father, and became immersed in the warmth of Chilean hospitality and culture. Eventually in 1996 I was born and after two years we returned to Belgium. Since then, contact with friends & family in Chile has always remained and holiday in Chile feels like coming home every time.
- Maarten Pino
Delicious empandas
When you think of South America, empanadas are one of the first things that come to mind. An empanada is a dough-based dish that can be filled with a variety of ingredients and can be prepared in different ways: sweet, savory, baked or fried. The word empanada comes from the verb "empanar", which means "to wrap in bread". The most famous empanada in Chile is the Empanada de Pino, which was the inspiration for our name: Empapino.
Making a difference
At Empapino, we believe that "being different makes a difference." We want to continue the work that Maarten's mother started and contribute to a more inclusive society by sponsoring good causes and by working together with people who have a distance to the labor market.
Also, our empanadas are a little bit different.
We deviate from traditional recipes and do it with a Belgian twist, which reflects the cultural mix of Empapino.
About us
Empapino is the story of three people: Maarten, Sofie & Jelle, who decided to bring one of the most famous dishes of South-America to Belgium. During the trips of Maarten and Sofie to Chile, they were welcomed by Maarten's family with much love and of course, lot's of empanadas. Though empanadas are not totally new to the world, a lot of people still need to know this delicious dish. The diversity of empanadas, paired with Chilean wine, creates the ideal shared snack for cherished moments with friends and family.
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We invite everyone to come and taste the flavors of life and enjoy the moments that matter, with the people who matter!
