Sep 17, 2010

Difference between Takoyaki and Akashiyaki

Do you know Takoyaki (たこ焼き)? I don't know how famous it is...because I already knew when I was born :)

Takoyaki is..... (by wikipedi)
(literally fried or grilled octopus) is a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, ponzu, mayonnaise, green laver (aonori), and katsuobushi (fish shavings), first popularized in Taisho-era Osaka.

Takoyaki is mostly sold at the food stall or at a small corner of the restaurant. Most of the time, its take away only. about 300yen for 6~8 balls. You eat them using tooth picks. The sauce on the top is "Okonomiyaki sause" and mayonnaise. The green one is seaweed called "Aonori". It tastes quite bland. You can put as much spices as you like. It can be really really hot inside, so if you eat the entire ball at 1 go, you may cry~! be careful.



This food above is called "Akashiyaki" 明石焼. It's like sister of Takoyaki. It looks almost the same as Takoyaki. But Akashiyaki has a softer, more eggy texture compared to Takoyaki.
The way of eating is also different. You dip into soup. The flavor of this soup is really mild. I like it!!

Akashiyaki is from the city of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture, so if you want to eat it, you have to go there. It's not easy to find Akashiyaki ourside of Akashi area.

I also like the presentation of Akashiyaki. This is the way they serve. This 15 balls set is for 1 person. Isn't it a lot? But it's really soft and light, so you can easily eat them all!

Please try both of Takoyaki & Akashiyaki!!

1 comment:

GaijinSan said...

Hi Yoko,

Thanks for the informative post, I ate them in Kobe but didn't remember the name. I linked to your post on my blog!