Explore the origin story of your favorite traditional japanese treats including taiyaki, mochi, and okonomiyaki.
How Was Taiyaki Started?
Taiykia originated in Japan in 1909 in a cake shop called Naniwaya Sōhonten. They are known for their imagawayaki, a delicious red bean cake dessert. At that time, the tai or red bean sea bream fish was a luxurious Japanese delicacy only the wealthy could afford. At first, he thought about the fish because he wanted to give everyone a taste of the elegant fish, and the idea came about.
How is Taiykia Made?
To make traditional taiykia, all you need is a regular pancake batter in a taiykia fish mold with red bean filling. Nowadays, people use Nutella, cheese, breakfast sausages, eggs, and sandwich meats.
Where did This Mochi Deliciousness Come From?
The delicious steamed rice paste dessert started in the ancient Japanese Jomon period, lasting between C. 14,000-300 BCE. It was known as mochitsuki, which is traditionally made during the New Year Festival.
You may wonder how did mochi and ice cream happen? Japanese American businesswoman Frances Hashimoto helped establish New York’s China Town in 1993. Hashimoto was president and CEO of Mikawaya, a confectionery producer specializing in Japanese pastries, and came up with the recipe when her husband gave her the idea.
Okonomiyaki is a Delicious WHAT Now?
Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pizza pancake typically fried and made with: cabbage, egg, flour, tempura scalps, pork belly, dried seaweed, shrimp, calamari, scallops, pickled ginger, green onions, shiso leaves, and some variations include udon noodles. The traditionally used sauce is okonomiyaki sauce that can be store-bought or made from scratch for a more experienced chef. The sauce consists of 20 ingredients for a sweet yet savory flavor, including vinegar, vegetables, spices, and fruits.