Bungeoppang (Korean Fish-Shaped Pastry) vs Koulourakia: Traditional Greek Butter Cookies

Both desserts rely on milk, egg, sugar and baking powder, yet they put them to very different work. Bungeoppang turns them into a thin, pourable batter cooked in a fish-shaped waffle mold, giving a golden, slightly crispy waffle-like shell around sweet red bean paste, best eaten warm. Koulourakia begin with butter creamed with sugar, scented with vanilla and optional orange zest, then become a pliable dough twisted into braids or coils and baked under an egg-yolk wash. The contrast runs from a warm, bean-filled pastry to a firm, buttery, aromatic cookie.