●TAIYAKI.Is this a fish? It’s a sweet Japanese confectionery in the shape of a fish.

In Japan, there are foods in the shape of fish.
Do you have such food in your country?
So what is this fish-shaped food?
Is it sweet or salty? I'm going to tell you what kind of food it.

What is the true identity of this fish-shaped food?

Taiyaki is a very famous Japanese confectionery in Japan.

What is Taiyaki?

Taiyaki is a food made by baking in a metal pan shaped like a red snapper. It's a Japanese sweets that contains azuki bean paste and is mainly made of wheat flour. Japanese sweets that have been eaten since the Meiji period.

Pour dough made from wheat flour, sugar and baking soda into one side of a red snapper-shaped baking mold (divided into two halves), put azuki bean paste on it, put only the dough on the other side, and bake together. Fish red snapper is not included as an ingredient.

History of Taiyaki

Taiyaki is said to be a food derived from Imagawayaki (Obanyaki). (Imagawayaki will be discussed in another article)
There is a theory that the origin of Taiyaki is that it was made using a casting mold in the Meiji period, and there is already a description of "Taiyaki'' in a literary work from the end of the Meiji period.
There is a theory that the birthplace of Taiyaki was 'Naniwaya' in Azabujuban, Tokyo, which was founded in 1909, but there was also a newspaper article stating that there was a Taiyaki shop that had been in business before then.

Is the Taiyaki filled with bean paste from head to tail?

There was a controversy that could be called the "Taiyaki controversy" as to whether or not the red snapper's tail (the tail of the red snapper) was filled with azuki bean paste, and whether it should be included.

1.Originally, the tail was a handle for picking and eating with fingers, and it is correct that there is no azuki bean paste.

2.No azuki bean paste should be added as a final palate cleanser after eating sweet azuki bean paste.

3.If the azuki bean paste doesn't reach the tip of the tail, I feel like I'm losing money, so I should put it in.

4.By adding azuki bean paste to the tail, you can differentiate it by increasing the sense of value.

There have been various opinions, but no conclusions have been reached.

Also, in relation to the above, there was also a debate about whether it is orthodox to eat from the head or from the tail. Again, no conclusion has been reached.

What is the size of the taiyaki? What is the texture?

The size of the taiyaki is about this size.It's big enough to hold in one hand.
As for the texture, it depends on the thickness of the dough, but the freshly baked dough is crispy. If the dough is thin, it will be crispy, and if it is slightly thick, it will be chewy.
My favorite texture is Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, it's delicious.

What are the ingredients in Taiyaki?

Many Taiyaki shops use azuki bean paste as the main ingredient in Taiyaki. However, in recent years, the number of people who do n't like azuki bean paste has increased, and I wondered if it would be delicious to add ingredients other than azuki bean paste. There is also a variety of ingredients in it.

Azuki bean paste

When it comes to Taiyaki, azuki bean paste are a popular ingredient. Azuki bean is a paste made by boiling Azuki beans with sugar. It's made by putting it in the Taiyaki.

Cream

As for the cream, custard cream is inside the Taiyaki. It's a Western-style Taiyaki rather than a Japanese style. Recommended for those who don't like azuki bean paste but want to try Taiyaki.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a common food all over the world, so I think there are few people who are not good at it. It has a mild taste, so it is recommended for kids. Of course, after the kids eat the chocolate Taiyaki, they have to brush their teeth!

Tiramisu

I didn't know Taiyaki had a tiramisu flavor. It's the completion of Italian Taiyaki at once. I've never eaten it before, so I'm very curious! I wonder if it tastes like coffee.

Mochi (rice cake)

The Taiyaki with azuki beans and mochi inside looks very delicious. I think the softness of the mochi gives it a chewy texture. However, this mochi-filled Taiyaki tends to harden over time, so it's better to eat it immediately after purchase.

Black sugar syrup and Kinako

Black sugar syrup and kinako are a classic combination of Japanese sweets. I'm sure it's a delicious Taiyaki because it goes well with any Japanese sweets, but I've never seen it before.

Croissant

Taiyaki made with croissant dough. It's a very sweet Taiyaki with a crispy dough and granulated sugar on the outside. It's a collaboration of Japanese and Western! The contents of croissant Taiyaki are azuki bean paste, cream, and seasonal paste.

Matcha(Green tea)

Matcha flavored Taiyaki with a bittersweet tea taste. The contents of Taiyaki are Azuki bean paste or matcha(green tea) is kneaded into Azuki bean paste. matcha(green tea) is also kneaded into the outer skin part and it is green. It's a Taiyaki that allows you to feel Japan more deeply.

Okonomiyaki

It contains the only side dish in Taiyaki. Taiyaki contains okonomiyaki ingredients such as cabbage, pickled ginger, bacon, and tempura bits. It's so delicious that you'll eat it in no time. However, there are few shops that sell them. Highly recommended‼

Soft serve Taiyaki

The combination of hot Taiyaki and cold soft serve is the perfect combination of delicious Taiyaki. If you love sweet treats, you should definitely try this. There is no doubt that it will permeate your body on a hot summer day.

Taiyaki is a Japanese sweet that represents Japan!

When people see taiyaki for the first time, it's no wonder they wonder, "What is this fish-shaped food?"
I used to wonder when I was a child. I would be happy if you could read this article and learn a little about taiyaki. My favorite taiyaki is okonomiyaki taiyaki. There aren't many shops that sell it, but it's very delicious, just like eating okonomiyaki. Please try taiyaki when you come to Japan.
I hope you find your favorite taiyaki.

Taiyaki Pan - Fish Shaped Waffle Cake Maker -