What is your favorite Japanese food?
Sushi,Tempura,Ramen…those are typical answers.
But I want to introduce other nice Japanese foods.
That is “ Takoyaki”.
In this article, we will delve into its culture, types, history, and the good place to eat it in Asakusa.
Takoyaki are a popular and affordable snack or meal in Japan. They are often sold at street stalls or restaurants, and they can also be made at home.🏠
They are called “konamon（粉もん）” in Japan which means wheat flour-based meals.In addition to Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki （savory pancakes with various ingredients）and Monjya（savory pancakes with various fillings, thinner than okonomiyaki）are one of them.
They are made with a wheat flour-based batter and filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion. The batter is poured into a special takoyaki pan with molds that give the takoyaki their characteristic spherical shape. The takoyaki are then grilled over a hot surface until golden brown.
That is a normal Takoyaki recipe, but there are many kinds of Takoyaki. Surprisingly, some of them do not include octopus even though Takoyaki means octopus burned.🐙
Takoyaki are a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Here are some of the most popular types of takoyaki:
- Classic takoyaki is made with a simple batter and filled with octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion. This is the most common type of takoyaki and is often served with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and bonito flakes.🐙
- Cheese takoyaki is made with a batter that includes cheese. This type of takoyaki is often served with cheese sauce and mayonnaise.🧀
- Okonomiyaki takoyaki is made with a batter that includes okonomiyaki ingredients, such as cabbage, pork belly, and green onions. This type of takoyaki is often served with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and bonito flakes.🥬
With so many different variations to choose from, there is sure to be a takoyaki that everyone will love, but what is its origin?
The exact origin of takoyaki is unknown, but it is believed to have originated in Osaka, Japan, in the early 20th century. The first takoyaki were made with a batter similar to that used for okonomiyaki, a savory pancake made with a variety of ingredients. Over time, the batter was modified to include octopus, and takoyaki began to develop their own unique flavor and identity.🗾
Here is my recommendation.
- Takoyaki modern yaki Furu-chan
There are many types of texture of Takoyaki. Two types of them are well known. One is well fried outside, the other is soft outside. The Furu-chan’s Takoyaki is the latter. The moment you bite, the broth starts to ooze out. There are many flavors like Bozu(no sauce),sauce, salt, ponzu mixed with spring onion. We ate sauce and ponzu mixed with spring onion. Sauce is more sweet and salty than other Takoyakies. Ponzu is made of yuzu (species of aromatic Asiatic citron, Citrus junos)
And what I want to introduce is Takosen.🍘 “Tako” means “octopus” and “sen” means “senbei” which are Japanese rice crackers.But this senbei is not made of rice but octopus.It is served with octopus balls sandwiched between rice crackers. Outside is crispy but inside is melting softness. If you eat it, you will be dancing like an octopus.🐙
Top left is ‘Ponzu‘, top right is ‘Tako-sen’. Price is 650 yen/6 pieces.
Down on the left is ‘sauce’. Price is 400 yen.
- Takoyaki Izakaya taco44.
This is a very funny Takoyaki store. 😊
First, the menu says Takoyaki is 5 million yen(it is a joke).💴 Second, the store keeper is energetic like an Osaka madam.🐯There are two types of Takoyaki. One is well fried outside called Tokyo Takoyaki, the other is soft outside called Osaka Takoyaki.
I tried the special Takoyaki which is limited to 20 servings per day, called Osaka homemade soybean sauce Takoyaki. It was served on an interesting Manga plate. It has already been seasoned, but we can dip in more soybean sauce, which is refreshing, not too rich, yet flavorful. The price was 550 yen. All of Takoyaki are 500 yen 〜 550 yen per 5 Takoyaki. This store is really near from our hostel, it takes less than 1 minute walk.
Take a walk with Takoyaki！
Takoyaki is delicious, cheap and cute.🐙
And Takoyaki has something Japanese because it has been sold at the small market during the festival, and something home because Japanese people often make Takoyaki with their family and friends. Why don’t you try it?
