Takoyaki, delicious Japanese Octopus Fritters
Takoyaki is one of my favourite Japanese street foods, and its name says it all: tako means octopus, and yaki refers to something warm, grilled or fried. If you’ve ever strolled through the bustling streets of Japan, especially in Osaka, you’ve probably come across food stalls preparing these delicious, golden-brown balls. They’re a festival favourite and a must-try for any street food lover.
Where does Takoyaki come from?
Takoyaki was cooked for the very first time in the 1930s by Tomekichi Endo, an Osaka street food vendor. The absence of rice flour in Osaka’s cuisine and the large number of octopuses that inhabit its seaside were key factors in its invention. In the 1930s, due to the severe impact of the global economic crisis on Japan, Osaka, as an industrial city, experienced unemployment and poverty. With lower incomes, many families could not afford rice, which was more expensive than other staple foods like wheat flour. Takoyaki are inspired by an earlier dish called akashiyaki, a softer, eggier version of these octopus-filled balls.
