Let's Give 'Em Something To Tako-Bout: What Is Takoyaki?
Takoyaki started as street food in Osaka and evolved into a commonly eaten food found in stores and food stalls in Japan. You may be surprised to find out that despite its massive popularity, takoyaki was not invented until the early 1900s. However, it quickly became a favorite snack for many.
What is Takoyaki?
So, what is takoyaki? Takoyaki is a snack that offers supple pieces of octopus, tempura morsels, pickled ginger, and green onion combined, then battered, fried, and served with a smattering of Japanese mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce, bonito flakes, and flakes of seaweed.
These octopus balls typically cooked in a particular takoyaki grill, allowing the takoyaki batter to be poured and served in its widely recognized ball shape. While this snack typically includes an octopus filling, other versions range from plain batter to mushrooms or shrimp inclusions.
Where Did Takoyaki Come From?
Takoyaki is an evolved version of rajioyaki, a similar snack that includes a beef filling and a broth for dipping. The creation of this snack is credited to a man named Tomekichi Endo, who was visiting Osaka in 1935 from Akashi. In his hometown, they had a snack that looked like rajioyaki but had octopus pieces inside and a spongier consistency.
This prompted Endo to create takoyaki. Initially, takoyaki was consumed plain and without any sauce. With the surfacing of a new sauce (now known as Takoyaki sauce), the popularity of the snack boomed in the 60s and is still a popular snack today.
Why is Takoyaki Popular?
It’s difficult to dislike a snack that is oh so tasty! With a golden brown crispy outside and a soft interior, this snack easily is one of the best. The ease of finding these delicious fried balls in stores and food markets allows the popularity to continue thriving. It's hard to beat the sweet, salty tasty provided by takoyaki.
How Do I Make Takoyaki at Home?
At this point, you may be wondering if there’s an easy Takoyaki recipe you can create at home. Here’s a version of a Takoyaki recipe that you can whip up in a couple of minutes using snacks from Bokksu Market.
The Ingredients You Need For The Snack Version Of Takoyaki:
Easy Takoyaki Directions:
1. Pour the desired amount of Calbee Takoyaki Ball Corn Puffs into a bowl and top with Otafuku Okonomi Sauce.
2. Don't forget to add Tono Negi Nori Dried Scallion & Seaweed Flakes as a garnish.
If you want to take your snack to the next level, consider making takoyaki from scratch. Here's a quick recipe for a more authentic dish.
Ingredients/Tools You Need for Authentic Takoyaki Balls:
- Grilled octopus (or boiled)
- Pickled ginger
- Ajinomoto Hondashi Soup Stock (or dashi stock)
- Soy sauce (optional)
- Iwatani Portable Butane Stove (No Gas)
- Takoyaki Grill/Takoyaki Pan
Authentic Takoyaki Directions:
- Create the batter from the Ajinomoto Hondashi Soup Stock, eggs, and flour. It's optional to add a few drops of soy sauce in for more of an umami taste.
- Oil the preheated takoyaki grill pan or takoyaki machine (using the Iwatani Portable Butane Stove), then add a small amount of batter in each hole.
- You can also use a cake pop maker in a pinch instead of a takoyaki maker or takoyaki pans.
- Add your favorite fillings, including cooked seafood bits like boiled octopus, green onions, and red pickled garlic.
- Flip each ball slowly until the outside is a lovely brown and the inside is cooked through. We've found chopsticks make this step much more manageable.
- Top with Tono Negi Nori Dried Scallion Seaweed Flakes and Otafuku Okonomi Sauce (or okonomiyaki sauce) to complete the recipe.
Where Can I Find More Takoyaki-like Items?
So, you’ve made takoyaki and now are desperate for more Asian snacks and food items. Bokksu Market makes it easy to order groceries online by offering Asian grocery staples (and Japanese grocery staples) like snacks, condiments, and other tasty food items. Now, you won't need to search for the nearest Asian grocery store – order from the comfort of your home instead.
By Krystina Quintana
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