Sopaipillas (Chilean Fried Pastries)

Sopaipillas (Chilean Fried Pastries) be served two ways: soaked in a spiced syrup for a comforting sweet treat, or served freshly fried and crispy with salsa.

Buñuelos de Rodilla (Mexican Christmas Fritters)

While buñuelos de rodilla can be found year-round in some areas of México, they are often served as a Christmas treat, either acaramelizados (crisp) or garritos (soaked in a simple syrup) during supper on nochebuena (Christmas Eve).

Polvorones (Spanish Lard Cookies)

These lard cookies were significantly different from the biscochitos I grew up with: instead of flour, the cookie dough uses a mixture of ground almonds and flour that are toasted in the oven briefly before being added to the dough. Grated orange peel gives the cookies the zest needed to cut the richness of the lard.

Salteñas (Bolivian Hand Pies Filled With Chicken Stew)

These traditional Bolivian meat pies are part empanada and part soup dumpling, featuring a buttery pastry crust filled with a saucy chicken stew. The stew is seasoned with fruity aji panca chili powder and studded with raisins, which plump in the rich broth.

Calzones Rotos (Chilean Fried Pastries)

A Chilean friend says she finds calzones rotos a bit dry, but I politely disagree. More than doughnuts or funnel cake, they're really fried cookies. She probably just takes them for granted. Plus, they're served warm and dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Sopa de Lima (Yucatán Style Lime Soup)

Sopa de Lima is a bright and citrusy Mexican chicken soup that will tantalize your taste buds. This comforting soup is easy and delicious.

Churros With Chocolate-Dulce de Leche Dip

If you're a lover of fried foods, you'll have a deep understanding of the ultimate satisfaction of eating a churro as it emerges out of a burnished gold, bubbling pot of scalding oil. When paired with a silky chocolate dulce de leche dip, they're absolutely irresistible.

Beignets

For folks outside of New Orleans, the square, fried fritters which are covered (perhaps buried) in powdered sugar are probably most closely associated with the French Quarter's famed Cafe Du Monde, a coffee shop established back in 1862.

Sopes de Pollo con Frijoles (Chicken Sopes With Beans)

Sope shells start with a dough made from masa harina (that's dehydrated nixtamalized corn flour) that gets flattened into a thick disk. The edges of the disk then get pinched to form a shallow saucer. The raw sope shell is fried just long enough to get it to hold its shape, but not so long that it gets crisp. The idea is that you want it to form an impenetrable barrier for the treats that go on top of it, but you still want it to be soft and warm in the center.

Paczki

Crisp on the outside, yet soft and yielding on the inside, pączki may look like ordinary jelly doughnuts, but these rich and dense pastries are far from run-of-the-mill.