Takoyaki Party 2006

Making Takoyaki

You guys didn’t think I would go back to Osaka during winter break, and not pull out yet another takoyaki update did you?

I was invited to a friends place in Nara for a Takoyaki party. We cooked Takoyaki and drank from 3pm into the night. Good stuff!

This is what you need to put together a takoyaki feast. Basically you have a flour based mix, with lots of other ingredients. If you need the recipe let me know and I’ll dig it up.

The takoyaki kit that you see, the black device that looks like an open face waffle iron with lots of half sphere holes in it… I something to be found in most of the homes in West Japan. Apparently it is very rare for someone living in East Japan, the Kanto area, to own one of these things.

The octopus we used was caught by the grandfather of the host… When they chopped off the head they found white octopus eggs inside… Yum?

GROSS!

After mixing up the batter, you pour it all over the takoyaki kit so much that each individual hole starts to overflow. Then, you stuff in bits of octopus, cabbage, and any other ingredient you plan to use for that round of takoyaki.

Once the batter starts to harden you can use sticks to push the overflow down into the holes, and also spin the takoyaki into a ball. Amazingly, no matter how much the overflow was at the beginning, you should be able to stuff it all into neat takoyaki balls before long.

おいしそう〜〜

Once you have taken them out of the takoyaki kit, you spread on sauce, mayonaise, sea weed, and katsuobushi (fish flakes) for the final touch!

Now that I am a poor student and don’t get fancy food often, I truly understand the power of the takoyaki. They’re cheap, fun to make, and delicious.

I didn’t eat the Octopus eggs though. I have my limits.

- Harvey