Takoyaki Recipe (たこ焼き)

Takoyaki – たこ焼き in Japanese, literally ‘octopus dumplings’ – is a quintessential Japanese street snack that originated in Osaka. It’s a savoury dish of grilled balls of batter made with flour and eggs filled with a little nugget of octopus and other ingredients like green onions, pickled ginger and tempura bits. The outside is slightly crispy, and the inside batter is seasoned, fluffy, and has a gooey consistency that melts in your mouth. Green onions add a touch of freshness, pickled ginger brings a hint of sweet and sour, and crispy tempura bits make it even richer. They’re brushed with takoyaki sauce, drizzled with Japanese kewpie mayo – for even more flavour – and topped with bonito flakes and seaweed.

Takoyaki is typically sold at stands or small restaurants and is also popular at summer festivals. Takoyaki balls are about the size of golf balls, and each order contains about eight of them. They are typically served in paper dishes that look like little boats and come with skewers or chopsticks to pick them up. They’re served piping hot, so be careful.

When people eat takoyaki, they are often surprised by its texture: is takoyaki supposed to be mushy? The answer is yes, it’s supposed to be a little runny and gooey inside. The gooeyness is what most vendors strive for because it adds to the uniqueness of takoyaki.