In Japan, if you have a jones for a snack, you’re covered. The huge amount of street food and vendors alike ensure you need not walk four blocks without something to eat in between. Thanks to anime, Westerners are introduced to a wide variety of these intriguing street foods. Okonomiyaki turns up in Tsubasa, takoyaki has made an appearance in The Wallflower and dango is everywhere you look, most notably in Sailor Moon.
Taiyaki is not only in anime (most recently in Kanon) it even has it’s own hit single, “Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun” (”Swim! Taiyaki”) by Masato Shimon.
Taiyaki, literally, “grilled sea bream”, is a wheat batter-based confection, much like pancakes and waffles, filled with bean jam (anko) and grilled in a fish-shaped iron. The result is a slightly crispy sea bream-shaped goodie perfect for on-the-go munching.
If you plan on making taiyaki, you’ll need a taiyaki-ki (taiyaki mold). But if you’re simply after the flavor of taiyaki, you can also make silver dollar size cakes with the batter and fill them with anko. This confection is called dorayaki (literally, “grilled gong”, in allusion to their round shape).
I wanted a more crisp bread for my taiyaki and have tweaked a krumkake recipe I found online. This recipe yields a firm, light crust that’s not too sweet.
Taiyaki
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
- 3 Tbs. water
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tbs. honey (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups anko, room temperature
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch. Set aside.
Beat together the eggs, honey, if using, and sugar till frothy and to it add the flour mixture and water. Whip till smooth.
Preheat a taiyaki-ki and brush it lightly with oil. Pour in a small amount of batter to the preheated pan, add a tablespoon of anko and more batter as necessary to fill in the details. Close and latch the pan.
Turn the heat to medium low and cook about 30 seconds then turn the pan over. Heat evenly for a minute and turn again. Repeat. The taiyaki are done when you can easily open the iron and the taiyaki are a golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes 12 Taiyaki
Difficulty: Easy | Time: 30 minutes | Ingredient Availability: Easy
The Japanese use fillings other than anko for taiyaki. Chocolate, custard and even savory fillings are also popular additives. Use whatever you like; make it your okonomi-taiyaki!
You can make dorayaki with this recipe and add more honey to up the flavor and make it more moist. If you want, cut shapes from the dorayaki with a cookie cutter while the cakes are still warm. You can then sandwich anko between them.
I tried making these today, I filed my with jelly. I burnt them though… but the non-burnt parts tasted really good. I think I just need to improve my cullinary skills. ^_^’
@Tina, it takes practice and patience to make these critters, so know you can become a master taiyaki-ka. Set the heat to low and let each side slowly cook. You’ll get a nice golden color that way and less blackened taiyaki! Good luck!
OOOo i should try to make these! When are you going to post more recipes! =]
Hi Rachel,
I stumbled across this site with Google. I just thought I’d let you know that I think your Recipe section is one of the more wonderful things out there on the internet. It surprised me, actually, because I’m very picky about these kinds of things. I actually think your stuff is better than some of the cookbooks I have, that are published in Chinese/Japanese!
I don’t think a lot of this information is out there in English. Keep doing what you’re doing!
@Cliff, I’ve been kinda down and out the past few months, but I still retain my absolute love and devotion to Japanese cuisine. Hopefully within the next month I’ll be back on site and writing some recipes you’ll love to cook!
@Chris, Thank you so much for your sentiment! I hope you find the recipes easy to follow and tasty to eat! I’ve got some fall recipes all set to go as soon as I can get back to the computer full time!!
WOW i saw this on kanon and iv been dying to try this!!! would anyone know hhow to by the tayaki machine or just by already cooked taiyaki in the united states?
@Andrew, You can buy the taiyaki-ki at Amazon for about $26 plus S&H. Here’s the link:
Taiyaki Pan
You can also go to your local Asian food mart and check out their refrigerated section. Sometimes they carry taiyaki there, in both anko and ice cream varieties.
thanks rachel i will be looking at the link when i have free time.
Also i would like to know what asian marts might have taiyaki. So if you don’t mind will you please list some commen asian marts thats will have this machine…thanks.
hey im i want to make these for my Anime club that i run, would red bean paste work just as well?
Sorry for getting back to you so late! Any sweet bean paste or paste-ish substance would work, including custard. And anko is red bean paste made with azuki beans, but I make mine sometimes with red mung beans. Tastes just like azuki beans, only cheaper!
I’ve been thinking about getting that Taiyaki pan from Amazon for a while and I needed a good recipe as an excuse to buy it. I think I’ll definately get one now!
By the way, there is a Japanese Market/Minimall called Mitsuwa. I go to the one in Edgewater, NJ but they have more stores mostly on the west coast. They have great Ramen and they have a Taiyaki booth where they make fresh warm Taiyaki!! Yum! You should check out the site for more info: http://www.mitsuwa.com/english/index.html
They have lots of events like Mochi Pounding on New Years where you get to watch them pounding the rice to make the mochi. They even gave out free samples! I’m looking forward to the summer festival they have planned in August since I just learned about the place a few months ago =).
Mitsuwa has stores all over the country, but none in St. Louis. Why Chicago but not STL, Mitsuwa? We actually have a large Japanese population, so one would think building a Mitsuwa here would be a smart move.
Hey, maybe if enough people write them, they might consider opening a store there. =)
Btw, I finally went and ordered that Taiyaki-ki from Amazon and I’m expecting it to come sometime this or next week. I’ll use your recipe and I’ll probably experiment with lots of different types of fillings. Mmmm…I can’t wait!
Buahahahahahahahaha……………..ehmmm sorry for that serious no no buhahahahahahaa
I have used this recipe twice to make taiyaki and it has turned out well. I just had to remember to NOT put too much batter, so that it would overflow…For fillings, I used peanut butter, strawberry jam, and Nutella. They held well and were the next best options, since I don’t have anko paste.
Oohhh, Nutella! That sounds so good! We have an international grocery store three blocks away that sells four different brands of hazelnut/ chocolate paste. Now I’m tempted to go and buy a jar….
i also saw this on kanon and i have been craving it. i live in new jersey but have never been to that shop. can u tell me if they are any ways of buying taiyaki in the ocean or mammoth county in new jersey……
There are many different variations I would like to do for the filling with taiyaki, though I myself have never made it.
The fillings I’d like to do are these:
Green tea
coconut
chocolate
custard
Now for the green tea and coconut fillings, I had just planned to use coconut pudding and green tea pudding (I have the recipe for green tea pudding). However is pudding going to be too runny and not thick enough to use as a filling? Would it leak out of the taiyaki dough?
Also really stupid question, but how would you add chocolate for the filling?
whats anko?
and how do you get it to be a fish shape? do you use cookie shapers?
Anko is sweetened red bean paste. In order to make the taiyaki, shaped like a fish, you use a special griddle-like pan, known as a taiyaki-ki in Japanese. You pour your batter into the pan, then you add your filling. Then you close it shut and cook it, proceeding with the recipe you have for taiyaki and following the manufacturer’s instructions with the recommended cooking times.
i also livein ocean county in new jersey,but i never benn to the mitwewa in edgewater. i dont have any asian food markets in my county, but is there any supermarkets would have already cooked taiyaki in the refridgerator section,that you have to heat up yourself??????
Google “Asian Markets” or “Asian Grocers” for your area. Most grocery stores which aren’t Asian will not carry taiyaki in the fridge section. Your choices are:
A. Make it yourself.
B. Buy it an Asian grocery.
C. Have someone else make it.
just read this recipe i`m in japan now and am so lucky to have a taiyaki stand right by my apartment, ahhhhh, i love being in japan but have to come back to us in 4 weeks what will i do without my taiyaki now i have a solution, make it myself:]
umm..
flour .
is it wheat flour or all purpose ?
can i make it in sandwich maker? =)
Interesting. Any chance you could list the weights of the ingredients in your recipe? Grams, ounces, featherweight, I don’t mind
Just something quantifiable I can use. (I’m not really comfortable with the US volume cooking system, and I can’t work out how much of things I’d need to buy nor compare it to my existing batter recipes)
I have the taiyaki pan that you use in this blog but am wondering how you cook with it. Do you place it directly on the stove burner or on top of a griddle? Is it supposed to be baked at all? I was just wondering how you actually heat the pan.
If you’re very careful (please use caution), you can place it directly on the stove burner. A griddle would probably work if it gets hot enough though.