Paraguayan entrepreneur Lourdes Pinto is bringing traditional flavours to Maryland, USA, through her food truck Tasty Empanadas, the only Paraguayan food business in the area.
Originally from Fernando de la Mora, Pinto moved to the United States 26 years ago and has since turned her passion for cooking into a way of sharing culture, community, and identity.
“If you never try, you will never know.”
In an interview with The Asunción Times, Lourdes Karina Pinto talks about her reasons for moving to the United States. “We all come here with the same kind of objective. We want to do well in life; we want to help our families. I came to Maryland fresh out of high school. Already had some family here, and later on I brought my mum and my siblings along,” she mentions.
“I would always cook Paraguayan dishes for my family and friends. Eventually, we all start feeling homesick. What better way to reconnect with home than through food, right? People around me said that my empanadas were too good not to sell, but I was not fully sure. Starting a business is a big commitment. My husband said to me, ‘You will never know if you do not try’, so I did,” she says about what impelled her to begin her own business.
After seven years of doing what she loves, Lourdes remains the only Paraguayan food business and catering service in the area. Her future plans include travelling to neighbouring states such as Virginia and Washington, D.C., with her food truck. She is also planning to make changes to the menu, which currently includes the classic empanadas, chimichurri fries, alfajores, pastafrolas, and more.
Human connection through food
Impelled by family and friends’ comments about her delicious food, Lourdes Pinto took the risk and became an entrepreneur. Tasty Empanadas started off as a restaurant in a Maryland food hall in 2018 and became a food truck business in 2023.
From county fairs to Maryland Ravens American football games, and even farmers’ markets, Lourdes drives the Tasty Empanadas truck across the state looking for connections through food. “It is all about human connection. I do not know who my neighbours are here. Back in Paraguay, your neighbours are some of your closest friends! I am looking to meet and have a real conversation with people. When I see that people like what I sell and have been supporting me since day one, it all becomes worth it,” she states about her workload and support system.
Representing Paraguay
“I will always live with that feeling of yearning. Yes, I have a life here, but I will always miss Paraguay. I miss my family, my friends, sitting outside with neighbours, walking to the despensa (local grocery store),” she reflects. However, her favourite part about living abroad and having her own business is “being in contact with people. I love talking to people.”
“People always tell me they have never had this kind of food before. Peace Corps members tell me that my food reminds them of when they worked in Paraguay. Tasty Empanadas is my way of making Paraguay known. I am showcasing our gastronomy and our culture.”
