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Octopus in a Ball: The Story of Takoyaki's Rise in Japanese Cuisine
Is takoyaki the best Japanese street food? A lot of people certainly believe so. These grilled octopus balls have risen from their humble beginnings on the streets of Osaka to the international culinary stage. In this post, we’ll shine a spotlight on takoyaki in Japan, exploring its origins, varieties, and recipes.
Introduction to Takoyaki
As one of Japan's most beloved street foods, takoyaki is a very popular dish that seems appropriate for every occasion. It consists of doughy balls filled with octopus and cooked in a specially molded pan. Several other ingredients are traditionally added to the dish, including tempura scraps, green onions, and red pickled ginger.
Only okonomiyaki can boast a reputation that rivals that of takoyaki. The unique shape, rich flavors, and versatile fillings of the takoyaki make it a must-try for anyone interested in Japanese street cuisine.
If you’re thinking about making takoyaki at home, you need to get a clear understanding of the dish before your first attempt. We’ll walk you through the entire process.
What is Takoyaki? Understanding the Dish
Takoyaki is a savory, ball-shaped Japanese snack made of grilled flour batter. The grilled ball is typically filled with bits of octopus and other ingredients like tempura scraps, green onion, and pickled ginger. The literal translation of the word “takoyaki” is “octopus grilled” or “octopus fried.” However, while takoyaki is always grilled or fried, it doesn’t always have to contain octopus.
Takoyaki first became popular in Osaka, but today, it’s sold as a street food in every city in Japan, using a special cast iron pan called a takoyaki pan. To make homemade grilled octopus balls, having the pan helps, but there are alternative methods, which we’ll reveal later in this post.
Takoyaki is one of the most versatile dishes in Japan because of the wide variety of fillings you can use to make it. Besides octopus meat, you fill the dough with cheese, corn, edamame, cabbage, bacon, ham, shrimp, and a bunch of other ingredients. What matters most is that you create a tasty and savory snack. As one of the most famous members of the yaki (grilled) family and the darling of the yatai (street food stall), takoyaki represents the creativity and passion of Japanese street food culture.
The History of Takoyaki
Tomekichi Endo, a street food vendor, invented takoyaki in 1935 in Osaka, Japan. There is evidence that the tiny round dumplings available at the time in Akashi City served as inspiration for his takoyaki recipe. These dumplings are called akashiyaki, and they’re still popular in Hyōgo Prefecture today.
Endo founded the oldest takoyaki store in the country, Aizuya. The store was located in Osaka and became popular quickly because of its main dish. Endo’s recipe was initially different from what we know today. He started by using beef and konjac as the main fillings, but later switched to octopus. At the time of the switch, he also added more ingredients to flavor the batter.
Takoyaki’s fame stretched across the Kansai region, which consists of major cities like Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. Later on, it reached Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chba, and other cities in the Kansai region. Today, takoyaki is a nationwide favorite sold at supermarkets, mobile food stalls, and convenience stores.
Key Ingredients in Takoyaki
Before we get into the process of making takoyaki, we need to discuss the essential ingredients. This will give you a better idea of how to customize our recipe to your taste. The following are key ingredients for authentic takoyaki:
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Flavored Batter: Takoyaki batter is a mixture of wheat-based flour, baking powder, and eggs seasoned with soy sauce, salt, and dashi. Dashi is a Japanese soup stock commonly made from kombu (edible kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). You can make the batter yourself or buy a ready-made takoyaki mix from the store. Flavored batter helps coat the fillings with savory, umami-rich dough.
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Minced or Diced Octopus: Takoyaki often contains small bits of boiled and seasoned octopus meat. You can buy them at the local Japanese grocery store or seafood market in your area. Octopus is arguably the most important part of takoyaki because it adds depth to the snack.
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Tempura Scraps (Tenkasu): Also called agedama, tempura scraps are crumbs of deep-fried batter. They add umami flavor and creamy crunchiness to takoyaki.
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Green Onion: Sliced scallions are added to the filling, giving a rich taste that’s sweeter and mellower than regular onions. They also add a green hue to the dish, which greatly improves its aesthetics.
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Pickled Ginger (Beni Shoga): Takoyaki often contains julienned ginger that has been pickled in apricot or plum vinegar. Beni shoga adds red coloring and pungency to the snack.
How to Make Takoyaki: A Step-by-Step Guide
It’s almost time to give you our detailed recipe for making takoyaki at home. Before then, we need to address a nagging question you might have: Can you make takoyaki without the pan? The answer is yes, you can. While a cast iron takoyaki pan or takoyaki grill makes it easier to create the perfect round shape, you can replace it with a cake pop maker, small egg rings in a non-stick frying pan, muffin tin, aebleskiver pan, or banh khot molds. Simply follow the technique we provide in our step-by-step guide to get the best results. Below are the ingredients you need to make takoyaki at home.
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Katsuobushi (¼ cup)
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Boiled octopus (4 oz)
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Green onions (2 units)
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Beni shoga (1 tablespoon)
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All-purpose flour (1 cup)
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Baking powder (2 teaspoons)
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Soy sauce (1 teaspoon)
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Dashi powder (2 cups)
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Eggs (2 units)
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Salt (½ teaspoon)
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Tenkasu (⅓ cup)
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Neutral oil (2 tablespoons)
Takoyaki Step-By-Step Cooking Guide
Follow these steps to make delicious and round homemade takoyaki, using the ingredients mentioned above:
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Gather all of the recipe ingredients on a large table so they’re easy to reach.
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Grind katsuobushi into a fine powder and set aside for later.
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Slice green onions and mince beni shoga. Set aside.
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Dice the boiled octopus into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
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Mix and whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
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Break and add eggs to the mixture in the large bowl.
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Add dashi and soy sauce to the mixture and whisk them all together until smooth.
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Transfer the contents of the bowl into a measuring cup or pitcher.
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Heat the pan over medium heat until it reaches 200 ºC.
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Dip a brush in neutral oil and use it to grease the molds or chambers of the takoyaki plate or pan.
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When smoke rises, pour the batter mixture from the pitcher or measuring cup into each chamber.
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Distribute octopus bits and sprinkle katsuobushi evenly across all the chambers.
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Sprinkle slices of green onion, beni shoga, and tenkasu on top of the batter.
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After the bottom part of the batter sets (in about 3 minutes), break off any batter between each chamber.
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Rotate each batter piece by 90 degrees, so the side becomes the new bottom.
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After 4 minutes, rotate each batter piece again by another 90 degrees.
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Wait another 4 minutes and rotate them by 90 degrees again.
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Let the batter pieces cook for another 4 minutes and your takoyaki will be ready to serve alongside condiments and toppings of your choice!
Our Top Takoyaki-Making Tips
Remember the following tips while you cook to ensure you get the best results from your takoyaki balls on the first try:
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How to cook evenly: If you’re cooking with a takoyaki grill pan, move it around at intervals throughout the batter-cooking process. This helps distribute heat evenly to each chamber.
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When to add fillings: Only add octopus and other filling ingredients when you see bubbles appear on the batter. This prevents the fillings from sinking.
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How much oil to use: For crispy takoyaki, apply oil generously to each chamber without flooding it. The brush helps.
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How much batter to pour: You should fill up 80–100% of the chamber in direct proportion to the size of your octopus pieces.
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Getting the perfect round shape: Every time you rotate the batter pieces, stuff surrounding dough back into the chamber. This will keep each takoyaki ball round.
Innovations in Takoyaki: Modern Twists on a Classic
Contemporary chefs and food innovators are reinventing takoyaki by incorporating new ingredients, cooking methods, and presentations. Toppings on takoyaki have always provided an avenue to get creative. However, modern enthusiasts are taking things to new levels with the types of toppings they use. We’ve seen takoyaki topped with goma, mochi, wasabi, mentaiko, and ponzu.
Another major aspect of innovation in takoyaki is the creation of fusion dishes. These recipes contain ingredients from international cuisine. For example, kimchi takoyaki uses chopped kimchi, a traditional Korean dish, as part of the fillings.
We’ve also seen completely new versions of takoyaki spring up around the world. One of the most popular ones is called a cheeseburger takoyaki and is made of small beef patties, pickles, mustard, and cheese. Modern vegans don’t have to shy away from eating the snack, thanks to vegan takoyaki. It typically contains all the regular vegetables and is coated with fried dough seasoned with vegan dashi (kombu and shiitake mushroom soup stock). Lovers of convenient, on-the-go snacking can enjoy store-bought takoyaki-flavored crackers, potato chips, and corn puffs.
Takoyaki and Japanese Festivals
We can’t imagine a Japanese festival without food stalls lining the streets. These stalls are known as yatai. They sell various kinds of street food, particularly noodles and grilled snacks. Takoyaki is one of the most common foods sold at such stands, making it a staple festival dish in Japan.
In Osaka and several other cities in the Kansai region, people engage in social gatherings where takoyaki is the main course. These parties are called tako-pa (short for Takoyaki Party). They feature all kinds of unique ingredients, allowing the guests to customize their takoyaki fillings.
Serving and Enjoying Takoyaki
The most traditional way to serve grilled octopus balls is alongside a condiment of takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. Takoyaki sauce is a savory condiment that closely resembles Worcestershire sauce in texture and flavor profile. While takoyaki sauce is readily available in Asian stores, you can make it at home. Simply whisk Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, mentsuyu (noodle soup base), and sugar together in a bowl. To serve, add toppings like katsuobushi and aonori (seaweed powder), then drizzle some takoyaki sauce on it.
Nutritional Information and Dietary Considerations
Takoyaki is rich in carbohydrates and protein. However, its high carbohydrate content and deep-fried nature mean that you need to take several factors into consideration when deciding how much of it to eat.
1 gram of takoyaki contains 1-2 calories. This caloric content is on the high side, so you may need to burn off some of the extra energy if you’re trying to lose weight.
Takoyaki is not gluten-free, but the beauty of the snack is that you can make adjustments to help you achieve dietary goals like vegan, dairy-free, and kosher. Other potential allergens in takoyaki include wheat, eggs, soybeans, and seafood.
Conclusion:
Do your best to explore the rich flavors of takoyaki. These snacks have gone global, so you may find them in specialty restaurants in your city, even outside of Japan. You can also try cooking it at home using our recipe.
If you’re craving the savory taste of takoyaki, the most convenient way to satisfy your need is to visit Bokksu Boutique. We offer the most popular takoyaki-flavored snacks from Japan, including Takoyaki Tei Corn Puffs and Potato Snack: Takoyaki Flavor. If you want to combine the distinct flavors with other treats, The Largest Snack Box EVER is there for you. Enjoy!
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