Getting Your Fill: Stuffed Latin Pastries a Hit at Market

The empanada. It's dinner in a pocket. 

Or so says Vivian Addeo, the founder of Lulada, the latest vendor to join the Caldwell Farmers' Market.

This staple of Latin cuisine is, essentially, a stuffed pastry. It can be filled with vegetables, meat or even sweets.

"Kids love it. Adults love it," Addeo said. "It's a great to-go meal."

Now in it's second week, Lulada and its empanadas are generating a buzz among the market customers. Not only are the empanadas a convenient dish, Addeo's selection offers a variety of flavors.

"I wanted to introduce new cuisine to our community," Addeo said Friday during the market's ninth week of the season. "I figured Caldwell would be the perfect place to do that."

Addeo was raised in a traditional Colombian household. After years of sharing Colombian food with friends and family, she decided to offer it to the public.

"I wanted to invest in a product I actually believed in, one I'd feed my own family," Addeo said. 

Lulada's menu blends the traditional Colombian cuisine from Addeo's childhood with a variety of other flavors, including American, Chilean and vegetarian.

This is evident in her selection, with sample empanadas that include the Colombian Classic (consisting of corn flour, ground beef, onions and spices), the Chilean Delight (ground beef, olives and raisins) and the Cheese Steak (steak, onions, peppers and cheddar cheese).

The menu also features a variety of dipping sauces, desserts, fruit juices and smoothies. 

"A lot of people have been responding to the new culture," Glen Ridge resident John Winchell, 16, said. Winchell, Addeo's neighbor, helps manage the Lulada stand at the farmers market.    

"We have people asking for different types," Winchell said. "One day it's meat, one day it's veggie." 

While Addeo lives in Glen Ridge, the Lulada kitchen is based in Hackensack. The company's name is rooted in Addeo's Colombian upbringing. A lulada is a fruit drink made from the Lulo plant, a perennial native to northwestern South America. Lulada is also one of Addeo's favorite drinks. 

Addeo's products are made from fresh, organic ingredients. Addeo said her company strives to support local farmers and she buys organic products solely from certified organic vendors in New Jersey. 

"Certified organic New Jersey farmers are trying to deliver a healthier product," Addeo said. "We want to continue to support New Jersey farmers. So far, so good." 

In addition to being featured at the Caldwell Farmers' Market, Lulada caters for private functions. Addeo's products are also distributed to retailers throughout Bergen County and they will soon debut at the Montclair Farmers' Market. 

Addeo said she was "flattered" by the response to Lulada and will return to the market for the remainder of the season.

The Caldwell Farmers Market runs each Friday through the end of October in the Smull Avenue municipal parking lot from 2 to 7 p.m.