Taiyaki (Japanese Fish-Shaped Cake) vs Bungeoppang (Korean Fish-Shaped Pastry)

Both cakes wrap sweet red bean paste in a milk-and-egg batter cooked in a fish-shaped mold, but the two recipes steer them differently. Taiyaki uses a sweeter batter with less flour and is cooked a little longer, until golden brown and crispy on both sides, contrasting a crisp exterior with a soft, warm filling. Bungeoppang adds salt, plus more baking powder and oil, to a less sweet batter with more flour, cooks more quickly to a firm, slightly crispy finish, and holds its bean paste shaped as a log rather than a ball.