An Ode To Takoyaki

One of my favorite foods-nay, favorite things about Japan has got to be takoyaki. In fact, it holds a much-coveted place in my hallowed holy trinity of Japanese foods, along with sushi and ramen. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably at least seen street vendors selling takoyaki during festivals and near tourist attractions. For those of you who haven’t tried it, you’re really missing out.

Takoyaki are essentially, balls of pancake-like batter, filled with octopus (tako), ginger, green onions and various other tasty things. They are fried in what is called a takoyakiki: a comically-named frying pan containing a number of small wells. The batter is poured into the wells and the takoyaki are then flipped continuously, resulting in a spherical ball that is evenly cooked on all sides. Afterwards, they are served together (usually in groups of six) and topped with takoyaki sauce (like a sweeter version of Worcestershire sauce but with a consistency closer to that of molasses), mayonnaise, pickled ginger and katsuobushi (dried fish shavings).

In the Kansai region, takoyaki is apparently served with rice as a meal. In most other parts of Japan, however, it is generally served as a fast food or at festivals. Here we see a typical takoyaki stand in Kanagawa, ready to dish out a snack to passing tourists. While the preparation is usually pretty similar, the taste of takoyaki can vary greatly, depending on the batter, the ratio of the ingredients and the sauces. My personal favorite takoyaki stand is the one in the bar district of Misawa. Even in the dead of winter that guy is out there, frying up takoyaki into the wee hours of the morning when the drunks emerge from their snack bars and stumble home. He’ll even make it fresh and deliver it to whatever bar you happen to be in, all for just ￥500 (about five bucks). Now that’s what I call service.