Crunchy, bright orange empanadas are going viral. Here’s where to get them
They’re big, they’re crunchy and they’re a lurid shade of orange. Ilocos empanadas, originating from the northern Philippine province Ilocos Norte, have suddenly taken the internet by storm.
You won’t find them on any restaurant menu, though. These unique creations are strictly available via underground businesses.
The empanadas come specifically from the city of Batac, where they were created by Glory Cocson. Working as an assistant in her sister-in-law’s empanada business, Cocson developed her own creation, filling the pastry with homemade longganisa sausage, shredded papaya, mung bean sprouts and an egg.
The pastry is different from most other empanada shells, and not just because of the color. It’s made with rice flour, water, oil, and achiote, which gives it its signature color. It’s then rolled thin, almost like a tortilla.
Cocson has been selling the empanadas since 1960. Even former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was a customer. Her influence has spread to the U.S., where local makers carry on the tradition.
Reah Libed of Frances Ilocos Empanada has been making them since late October 2025 and selling them on social media from her South Sacramento home. She was born and raised in Batac.
“The roots of this food are especially close to my heart. Nana Glory is actually the great-grandmother of my classmates. They’ve been my playmates since I was about 5 years old,” she said.
She recounts watching Cocson make the empanadas. “My school was right next to the riverside where the empanadas were made, so I grew up watching the entire process happen daily. Out of curiosity, I asked my friend’s mom to teach me how to make the dough, and over the years I learned by observing, helping and just being around it.”
Libed described how Cocson refined rice into flour, boiled mung beans, added simple seasonings and shredded papaya and wrapped everything in the dough. Initially she just made them to feed her kids. After she began selling empanadas to earn money, she added the longganisa to the filling. Libed also makes her own longganisa.
She makes versions with and without the longganisa, so there’s a vegetarian option. She includes plain and spicy vinegars, as well as a sweet and sour banana ketchup, to dress the empanadas. They’re available by pre-order only, on announced dates.
Lolita Nanca of Lolit’s Empanadas is based in Chico, but also sells her Ilocos empanadas from her sister’s home in Elk Grove — by pre-order only. Her husband is Cocson’s newphew. Nanca began making the empanadas after visiting Batac in 2011. She said making them requires a lot of prep.
“I make them by rolling out the dough to a thin circular consistency, then I add the filling into the middle. I’ll form a circle with the papaya, mung beans and longganisa leaving a well in the middle where I crack a whole egg. I then wrap it and seal the edges right before putting it in the oil to fry.”
Nanca also initially just made the empanadas for friends and family. Her son Andy said when his son noticed the empanadas showing up on TikTok, the family encouraged her to start selling them. She’s been marketing via her Instagram since September of last year.
Like Cocson and Libed, Nanca makes her own sweet longganisa. She has her achiote imported from Batac.
Nanca also includes vinegar, both plain apple cider vinegar and a spicy one made with Philippine brand Datu Puti.
Both entrepreneurs are working to get licenses to expand their businesses; Libed is working on getting a food truck. For now, it remains a labor of love.
“What started as something I made to feel connected to home slowly grew into a passion, and now I’m blessed to share that same authentic Batac-style taste with everyone,” Libed said.
What I’m Eating
Last Sunday, The Village, a family farm immediately west of the airport, hosted their second Taste of East Africa event.
Husband and wife team Nelson and Esther Mmbando founded the farm in 2023, and hosted the first Taste of East Africa event in December. He is originally from Tanzania and wanted to showcase his country’s culture and cuisine. They plan to host future events every month.
Nelson Mmbando acknowledges that many Americans are familiar with Tanzania; however, they may not know the food.
“We are a tourist country. We have Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti is in Tanzania and Ngorogoro is in Tanzania. I came to realize a majority of those visitors are actually Americans, so it’s good to bring a little part of our culture here,” he said.
This month, they showcased three proteins: grilled chicken, nyama choma (barbecued goat) and kitimoto (stewed pork). They offered a choice of two starches: ugali, a paste made from corn flour; and pilau, long-grain rice perfumed with cardamom and clove, reminding you Tanzania is on the Indian Sea.
The adult plate ($25) contained two proteins and the kids’ plate ($15) had one protein and a starch, so by ordering both, we were able to sample everything.
Both plates also contain a samosa, filled with beef and lentils, stewed shredded collard greens and a melange of peppers, onions and tomato called kachumbari.
Chickens roamed the property, unbothered by their enclosures. A farm dog basked in the sun.
Two of the farm’s goats and several chickens were used for the event, but Mmbando had to source more in order to feed the crowds.
“Our goal in the long run is to be able to provide all the protein from our animals. So we’re breeding our goats. We’re getting Dorper sheep for meat, and also we’re getting quail, and also meat birds. Which means in the next events, we’ll be able to actually produce everything from the farm that will be served, including vegetables.”
The next Taste of East Africa will be Feb. 28. They’re still deciding the menu and want to bring in other East African dishes. However, the nyama choma will remain a constant.
By the time we left, the line was dozens long. According to Esther, it remained that way to the end of the event.
Openings & Closings
OBO’ Italian Table & Bar will fill the El Dorado Hills space previously occupied by Selland’s Market-Cafe according to the Sacramento Business Journal. Both fast-casual concepts are part of the Selland Family Restaurants group. OBO’ has a focus on Italian cuisine, with pastas, pizzas and sandwiches.
Popular Clarksburg wine destination the Old Sugar Mill is under new ownership. Woodland-based Highland Pacific Capital LLC bought the property out of foreclosure at the end of December. The former beet processing plant is home to more than a dozen local wineries. The property fell into foreclosure after the death of its owner. Highland Pacific is looking to restore it, taking care of deferred maintenance and transferring the liquor license for Clarksburg Wine Company and the mill’s custom crush program.
Midtown Italian restaurant Adamo’s announced on social media that they will open a new pizza concept, Dodici Pizzeria. The restaurant’s name means “twelve” in Italian, a nod to its location at 12th and D streets in Aklali Flats. Dodici will feature Apulian-style pizza, which is more rustic than the famous Neapolitan pizza.
