Like most New Mexicans living out of state, we look forward to our trips home where we enjoy family, beautiful landscapes, clear skies and great food. The sopaipilla song was born as we were driving to dinner and anticipating the delicious sopaipillas.
What Is a Sopaipilla?
In New Mexico and much of the Southwest, this fluffy fry bread is served along with the meal, taking the place of tortillas or other bread. They are served unsweetened, and patrons often bite off a corner and drizzle honey into the hollow center. The texture (slightly chewy with a very slight crispiness on the outside) and flavor of the sopaipilla, along with sweet honey combine to make this bread the perfect companion for savory/spicy dishes (burritos, enchiladas) prepared with New Mexico green or red chile.
The dough (usually yeast-based) is rolled-out and square or triangular shapes are cut. These shapes are placed in hot oil and fried to golden brown. In the process of frying, the dough inflates like a balloon. Well-made sopaipillas are light and fluffy and have an airy pocket suitable for stuffing or for pouring (drizzling) honey. While most often served as a side dish, the stuffed sopaipilla makes an excellent main dish when stuffed with beens, carne adovada, chicken or beef. It is often served with honey on the side, or (some New Mexicans may disagree with this part!) as a desert, either with cinnamon sugar. Like any other dish, the variety is limited only by the chef's creativity. A quick Google search makes it clear that sopaipillas can be found in many other forms in other regions/countries.
I hope some of my New Mexican friends can relate. If you're not from New Mexico or the Southwest, sopaipillas are a good reason to visit!
- Peter A.
Note: "I Love Sopaipillas" can be found along with 12 other songs on my 2nd CD. You can also find it on Apple Music , Spotify and Amazon.com. This song is featured in radio commercials for the Sopaipilla Factory Restaurant in Northern New Mexico.
