Empanadas Meet Bao — Crispy, Crunchy & Soft

Dec 16

By Renato Osoy, Culinary Collector — Fusion Companions

A Tale of Two Pockets

Across continents, cooks have been wrapping flavors in dough for centuries. In Latin America, the empanada is golden and crisp, a celebration of corn or wheat, sometimes fried, sometimes baked, always inviting. In China, the bao is soft and white, steamed instead of browned, rising gently rather than crackling open. Both are portable, generous, and social. Both embody hospitality, something to be grabbed from the street, shared with friends, or served in abundance at a family table.

When empanadas meet bao, they discover that despite their differences, they speak the same language: the joy of holding warmth in your hands. Across oceans and centuries, cooks have found ways to fold warmth into dough, each crease a mark of ingenuity and love. When they meet, they remind us that the simplest gestures — fold, seal, steam, fry, bake — can bridge entire worlds. And that every pocket of flavor, no matter its origin, holds the same message: take, share, enjoy.

The Fusion Logic — Golden Heat and White Steam

Empanadas and baos differ not in spirit, but in temperature and texture:

Empanadas: sealed, fried or baked, delivering crunch and fragrance.
Baos: steamed and supple, almost ethereal.

This encounter is a study in contrast and transformation: one caramelizes, the other hydrates; one holds air, the other holds oil. Together they offer a new world of play — sweet, savory, or hybrid — where fillings and forms can trade places.

Empanada x Bao Bash — A Shared Table of Pockets

Imagine a table filled with platters, garnishes, dipping bowls, and steam baskets. This is not a competition of crusts but a celebration of form: crisp versus soft, fried versus steamed, golden versus white. It is an experience of texture, culture, and warmth. Here are nine creative ideas for a communal evening or brunch to enjoy amongst those we care about.

Empanadas — The Golden Side

1. Spiced Pork & Lemongrass Empanadas

Ground pork sautéed with garlic, lemongrass, and scallions — a Southeast Asian twist on the Argentine classic.
→ Serve with chili-lime aioli and a few mint leaves.

2. Shiitake & Soy-Glazed Onion Empanadas

A vegan empanada with soy-marinated mushrooms, caramelized onions, and sesame seeds.
→ Brush the crust with sesame oil before baking for extra fragrance.

3. Curry Chicken & Coconut Empanadas

Curry-spiced chicken breast cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, and cilantro.
→ Serve with mango chutney or a cooling yogurt dip.

4. Black Bean & Kimchi Empanadas

Refried black beans mixed with chopped kimchi and cheese.
→ Fry until golden; serve with gochujang crema for a smoky, tangy kick.

5. Sweet Plantain & Red Bean Empanadas

Mashed ripe plantain folded with sweet red bean paste — an unexpected dessert version.
→ Dust lightly with sugar and serve warm with matcha or green tea.

Baos — The Cloud Side

1. Charred Corn & Miso-Butter Bao

Steamed bao filled with corn sautéed in miso butter and topped with scallions.
→ A Japanese-Latin flavor bridge, sweet and savory.

2. Beef Short Rib & Chimichurri Bao

Slow-cooked short ribs pulled and tossed in Argentine chimichurri.
→ Serve with pickled onions for brightness.

3. Fried Eggplant & Mole Bao

Soft bao with slices of fried eggplant, drizzled with mole negro and sesame seeds.
→ A tender, smoky vegetarian indulgence.

4. Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bao

Steamed bao filled with dark chocolate ganache and dulce de leche.
→ Finish with sea salt flakes — dessert in a cloud.

Serving Ideas — A Table of Textures

For Sharing, arrange baskets of steamed baos beside platters of golden empanadas. Offer communal dips: chili oil, cilantro-lime crema, miso-honey sauce, and roasted garlic butter.

For Snacking: Serve miniature versions: mini-empanaditas and bite-sized baos, for a casual afternoon gathering.
For Brunch: Pair with cold-brew coffee or green tea spritzers, the fusion of morning comfort across continents.

Cultural Note — The Art of Wrapping the World

Every culture has invented a way to enclose flavor, a gesture of care that travels easily from home to market. Empanadas' name comes from empanar, “to wrap in bread,” a technique born in Galicia and adapted across the Americas. The dough changed with geography: corn in Colombia and Venezuela, wheat in Argentina, and yuca or plantain in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, in China’s ancient kitchens, baozi filled with pork, lotus paste, or vegetables were steamed for emperors and laborers alike, tender proof that steam could be as powerful as fire. Both traditions represent a portable form of love and labor: one crisp, one cloud-soft — the culinary yin and yang of texture.

Page-to-Plate Insights

Use them to spark action, refine your notes, and carry your creative process from the open page to a served table.

Pick two forms of dough from different cultures: one steamed, one baked or fried. Write down what each teaches you about texture and technique.
Imagine ways to combine them into a shared meal and sketch your dream table.

Renato Osoy CEO & Founder

At Culinary Collector, we believe the kitchen is a place of transformation and the table a space of connection. These ideas guide my writing here. I’m Renato Osoy, born and raised in Guatemala, where my earliest memories of flavor and aroma took shape. Years later, after training at Le Cordon Bleu and working in kitchens and Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe, I drew back to that first impulse: understanding food as culture, emotion, and imagination.

This blog explores how fusion cuisine becomes a language for creativity, how texture and flavor tell stories, and how cooking helps us rediscover curiosity and joy. Each post continues the philosophy behind our companion books: turning complex ideas into tangible inspiration for those who love to create through food.