Japanese street snack: Takoyaki

It’s not (yet) a craze in the Netherlands, although FavorFlav expects that to change soon. We’re talking about takoyaki: the savory Japanese equivalent of the quintessential Dutch poffertje.

Takoyaki: ball-shaped poffertjes filled with octopus (tako), dried shrimp, Japanese pickled red ginger and tempura scraps. In Japan, you can get this snack on pretty much every street corner, and in terms of popularity it’s no less beloved than all-time favorites such as yakitori and ramen. A serving consists of six piping-hot balls – about the size of a golf ball – and is usually topped with Japanese barbecue sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, dried seaweed and bonito flakes for the ultimate umami kick.

Hybrid snack

Takoyaki’s roots lie in 1930s Osaka. The story goes that street vendor Endo Tomekichi wanted to outdo his competitors by combining two popular snacks. He combined the octopus and eggs from akashiyaki – a kind of small octopus omelet – with flour, water and spring onion: the main ingredients of choboyaki, takoyaki’s ball-shaped predecessor. There was no garnish yet. The hybrid snack became an instant success, and in a short time all of Japan was under the spell of the balls. As of 2016, the streets of Osaka are still dotted with takoyaki stalls and hipster-like queues lasting half an hour.

Believe me: you’ll really want to practice turning and shaping perfectly round balls with chopsticks first.

Candy-pink

In most Japanese households, you’ll find a (electric) takoyakipan or takoyaki griddle for making homemade takoyaki. These are similar to our poffertjes pan, but with deeper, smaller wells for round, generously filled balls. The pans aren’t sold in the Netherlands, but you can find them in all shapes and sizes on Amazon. Or, like me, you can buy a candy-pink ‘cake pop maker’ for a few tens of euros. It’s not exactly a beauty, but it turns out to work well. Anything for the perfect serving of balls. I used Robin Kok’s recipe (from the Aziatische ingrediënten website) and made twice as much batter to be on the safe side, because believe me: you’ll really want to practice turning and shaping perfectly round balls with chopsticks first.

Instant fix

Don’t feel like making a fuss but do want takoyaki? Go for an instant fix at Toko Dun Yong on the Zeedijk. Earlier this year, Taka from Taka’s Japanese Street Food traded his stall on Waterlooplein for an indoor spot in the Netherlands’ oldest toko. You can do your grocery shopping right afterward. Or how about Hakata Senpachi in the Rivierenbuurt? At this izakaya – where drinks are at least as important as the food – you can soothe your takoyaki cravings with a cup of Kozaemon sake. Itadakimasu!

Feel like getting started yourself after all? We have the perfect recipe for you.

Taka’s Japanese Street Food (Toko Dun Yong)
Stormsteeg 9/Zeedijk 83 (2nd floor)
Amsterdam

Hakata Senpachi
Wielingenstraat 16 (Rivierenbuurt)
Amsterdam

Text: Renée Conradi
Image: Genaro Sellier