Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World
Slide Nr 1You can’t take it with you… or can you? Some of the world’s most beloved snack foods, street foods and appetisers come in easy-to-eat, on-the-go formats, pocket-sized and stuffed. There’s something innately comforting about carby dough – whether crispy or chewy – packed with sweet and savoury fillings. Baked, fried or in a broth, winter is the perfect time to explore these hot and delicious filled pockets.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 2Empanadas – When we think of the world’s favourite filled pockets, empanadas are one of the first foods to come to mind. Derived from the Spanish empanar (breaded), the deep-fried, crescent-shaped snack arrived with the Spaniards and spread throughout South America. Fillings are most often meat or poultry, but vary considerably to include seafood, vegetables, cheese and hard-boiled eggs. Argentina is particularly known for their regional specialty empanadas as well as baked versions. For a fried version with chicken, check out this Bolivian recipe.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 5Gyoza – A gyoza by any other name would taste as delicious! The beloved Japanese version of the Chinese Jiaozi, Nepalese Momo (Nepal) and other similar Asian dumplings, is most often stuffed with ground pork, ginger, garlic and scallions. They’re either pan-fried and steamed to finish, or simply steamed for a lighter option. Especially for the Chinese versions, don’t forego the dipping sauce, which is a tangy blend of rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 6Pierogi – This Polish treat is a quintessential comfort food, and it’s easy to see why. Fillings vary from savoury to sweet, including mushrooms, potatoes and ground meat or sweet fruit compotes and jam. The chewy unleavened dough is either pan fried, steamed or boiled, much like gyoza and some types of dim sum. The savoury versions are topped with sour cream and fried onions for a melt-in-your-mouth, warm and cosy flavour combination.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 9Pita Bread – The origin of pita bread spans an area encompassing Greece, Turkey and much of the Middle East. The leavened flatbread hasn’t always contained the fillings it has become so well-known for today, but the dough’s naturally forming air pockets make it easy to slice in half and stuff with regional goodies like spiced, rotisserie-roasted lamb (gyro), kebab meats or falafel and salad.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 12Kreplach – An Eastern European and Ashkenazi Jewish comfort food, kreplach are somewhat akin to Italian tortellini or Chinese soup dumplings. They’re made from an egg and wheat flour dough, stuffed with meat or seasoned potatoes, and boiled in chicken broth for a hearty soup. One theory actually attributes Venetian Jews for bringing this version of boiled ravioli to Eastern Europe during the diaspora. [Photo: TKOIII/Wikimedia Commons]
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 16Tamales – A Mesoamerican street food that has also conquered the United States, tamales originated thousands of years ago with the indigenous population of what is now Mexico and Guatemala. Like many popular street foods today, tamales likely spread throughout the region as an easily portable meal for soldiers in the midst of battle. They have a uniquely gummy, chewy consistency, thanks to masa corn flour steamed inside of corn husks or banana leaves. Though every region has its own tantalising take on tamales, the most common fillings are made from seasoned pork, chicken or beef; a bean-based filling can easily be substituted for a vegetarian version. [Photo: Marrovi/Wikimedia Commons]
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 17Spanakopita – This classic Greek recipe typically comes in two forms: a sliceable casserole-style or a triangular stuffed pocket of crispy, buttery phyllo dough filled with spinach, feta cheese and scallions. A variation on the theme is tiropita, the same flaky exterior stuffed with cheese and herbs.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 18Profiteroles – In the realm of sweet stuffed pockets, profiteroles – also known as choux à la crème or quite simply as cream puffs – are a favourite sweet treat in many parts of the world. They’re made from traditional French patisserie choux pastry dough, pumped full of vanilla-scented cream, and dipped in chocolate.
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Food
That’s The Stuff: Delicious Filled Pocket Specialties Around The World.
Slide Nr 19Sfogliatella – This rigorous Neapolitan pastry is a breakfast staple, though it can certainly stand in as a dessert. Layers of flaky phyllo-like dough encase a filling made of fresh ricotta cheese, scented with orange flower water or honey and bits of candied citrus zest. A dash of cinnamon is optional.
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