In these days of a rapidly shrinking planet and globalisation we live in a cosmopolitan world where we are exposed to 'world food' on a fairly regular basis. There are arguably far less surprises on the road today 🤔.
So, when visiting Japan last summer I was fully expecting and looking forward to delicious sushi, ramen - along with other various noodle dishes, and miso soup. I was not at all disappointed! In fact the steamy, yummyalicious bowls of Ramen served up in a wooden shack in the misty magical hills around Nikko were more like a FIRST food experience - I’ve never eaten anything ramen, quote, "that good before". Wowzers!
BUT, it turns out, there were some sneaky surprises! The food experience that really blew me away and filled me up (yet left me hungry for more all at the same time!) …. was …. (I had literally never even heard of this before arriving in these unique islands) … was … OKONOMIYAKI!!!
At first glance it doesn't sound very spectacular, well, the word itself does, AND it’s fun to say 🤭 Are you giving it a go outloud?! 🤣
Well, it’s a type of 'pancake', an inexpensive hearty stomach filling street food. But, for me, it is a classic example of a food experience being so much more than the ingredients suggest.
Oh, so much more 😋
There are actually TWO main varieties of this epic food of the gods, each associated with a different region. I was lucky enough to visit BOTH on my adventure.
Both have the same basic ingredients and are pan fried - YAKI means; grilled or cooked over direct heat, while OKONOMI means 'to one's own liking ' or 'how you like’. One presumes this refers to the choice of add ons and toppings along with the basic ingredients.
If I’ve understood correctly, the roots of the dish go back centuries but the present recipes date from the 1930's and the real boom in its popularity was due to the poverty of those years and the rice shortage after World War two. In essence, it's an inexpensive filling street food for empty tummies … and much more besides!
In OSAKA, I first stumbled across it in a food market. I loved the theatre of it being prepared on a hot griddle in front of me. I mean, impossible to refuse, right?! In this version, all the ingredients are mixed together in the batter and then cooked. Shredded cabbage and green onions are common ingredients, mixed into a thick batter. DASHI is not uncommon either, to start adding the magic to this pancake delight! It is added to accentuate the UMAMI flavour. - the 5th taste. We have sweet, sour, bitter and salty....then add umami - best described as 'savouriness' I think. Or better still, a twist of yummy if you like. 🤣
Next, you add to this single thick layered pancake other ingredients - anything from bacon to various meats or sea food....'as you like it’ after all.
And finally, you get the toppings … Now then ....
The key ingredient here is the special okonomi sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce would you believe). Then a special bottle dispenser to add thin lines of Japanese mayonnaise (KEWPIE), creating an edible chess board like effect. This is when you start to salivate in anticipation...but it is not finished yet. There then follows little sprinkles of happiness, for example, spring onions, ANORI (seaweed flakes) and KATSUOBUSHI (Bonito flakes ) and the highly addictive AMAZU SHOGA (pink pickled fresh ginger.) A little flurry of sesame seeds perhaps.
The bonito flakes are so super paper thin that they literally DANCE in the rising heat 😃🕺. Just in case you were not already aware, this is no ordinary pancake.
A mere 300km along the shore of the 'inland sea' to the south lies Hiroshima. A matter of mere minutes on the Shinkansen. Well, that's what it FEELS like anyway, which is why it is more commonly known as the bullet train.
Here, they take their Okonomiyaki VERY seriously. There are no less than 2000 specialist restaurants in the city. Really !!!! I wanted to try them all! 🙄
Some I came across were tiny places. One I have particularly fond memories of after an emotionally difficult day in Hiroshima, was rather uninspiring looking from the street, nothing special at all. BUT as I ducked inside and took a seat at the diner style counter it came clear instantly that I was in for a real food experience treat. The griddle ran the entire length of the counter and the chef and his assistants performed their magic right in front of me on the opposite side.
Here comes the second version! The ingredients are not all mixed together like in Osaka, but LAYERED almost as you would do a cake to a Garfield sandwich!!. It appears to me that there is more shredded cabbage with bean sprouts as an addition. But the key addition is NOODLES - Yakisoba or Udon, added as an extra layer and an egg cooked on the griddle and added to the layers. This is a veritable edible TOWER of layered yumminess, conjured up in front of your eyes. Theatrical entertainment and delicious dinner all in one go. Evening complete!
Unforgettable! Happy days indeed!!!
I urge you to try these magical pancakes of heaven in a Japanese restaurant near you - or of course, better still, in Japan!
If you happen to be heading to the Minervois/ Carcassonne area of France in November, we are hosting an atelier cuisine/kitchen workshop, creating our version of Okonomyiaki - as authentically as we can without the use of enormous fabuloso griddle plates, and taking on the spirit of ‘as you like it’, or more like, ‘ingredients to hand’ 🤣 Here's our version!
Dates for the diary: 14 Nov at 19:00 Okonomiyaki Atelier Cuisine/Kitchen workshop with Tan's Cooking Club.
Come join us, we’re excited for this one!
Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu! ぜひご参加ください！
Tan's Cooking Club
Tan's Travel Club
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