Continuing on with the Yaki Yaki business. This time, I would like to introduce some Yaki Yaki sweets from Japan.
Taiyaki:
Tai is red snapper in Japanese. And Yaki of course means to bake or grill.
Taiyaki is a fish-shaped cake typically filled with Azuki sweet bean paste. Many Japanese people assume foreigners don’t like Azuki bean paste, so when my husband (American) kept eating Taiyaki they were quite surprised. Personally, I think that Azuki paste doesn’t have a distinct flavor. It goes well with many other ingredients. Over the course of Japanese history, Taiyaki has been the center of a few heated debates. One in particular questions whether the tail of Tai-shaped snack should be filled with the bean paste or not. Some said that it should not be filled because the tail was to be used as a handle while eating, and it was also nice to end your Taiyaki with a plain baked tail. The counter argument stated that the point of eating Taiyaki was to enjoy the combination of cake and bean paste. Besides, you got more for your buck if the tail was filled with the bean paste. Our local Taiyaki shop sells the ones with the bean paste all the way to the tail. Somehow, I eat the tail first. (By the way, another heated debate concerned whether the Taiyaki should be eaten from the head or tail). I just think that biting into their heads is a bit barbaric just for nibbling on a cake.
Dorayaki:
Dorayaki is another sweet snack filled with Azuki bean. But this time the bean paste is sandwiched with honey pancakes. I was first introduced to Dorayaki through an animation called Doraemon (a blue robot cat from the future whose pocket connects him to the 4th dimension). Doraemon’s favorite food was in fact Dorayaki. He would buy a bag full of Dorayaki and finish them in less than a second. In my little girl’s head, I thought if Doraemon liked it so much, it must be very good.
It’s quite sweet, so it goes well with a nice strong green tea. Also, though it’s not that big, one is enough for me.
Imagawayaki
Imagawayaki is believed to be the original shape and recipe of Taiyaki. It’s rather thick and round, with a variety of fillings. Popular ones include Azuki bean paste, white bean paste, custard cream, chocolate cream, and cheese. I’m usually torn between chocolate cream and cheese. However, in the end, I usually end up with cheese Imagawayaki in my hands. The reason? Well, they add a sprinkle of black sesame to the dough for the cheese kind. This tiny addition of magical flavor always wins me over.
I’m sure that there are many traditional baked/grilled goods in your own countries. If you have some unique items that you would like to share, just let us know.
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