Okonomiyaki
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is a type of Japanese pan-fried batter cake with various ingredients.Okonomi means "what you like", or "what you want" and yaki means "grilled" or "cook" (cf. yakitori and yakisoba) in Japanese, so this dish's name means "cook what you like, the way you like". The batter is based on flour, grated yam, water or dashi, egg, and shredded cabbage, and usually contains other ingredients such as Welsh onion, meat (such as bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, kimchi, mochi, and cheese. Okonomiyaki is often compared to an omelette, pizza, or pancake because of the variety of ingredients it can contain, as well as the way it is prepared. Hence it is sometimes referred to as "Japanese pizza" or as "Japanese pancake". Many Okonomiyaki restaurants are set up as grill-it-yourself establishments, where the server brings the customer a bowl of ingredients, and the customer then mixes and grills it on their own at a table with a hot plate at its center.
Osaka-style Okonomiyaki is prepared like a pancake. The batter and other ingredients are spread and fried on both sides, using either a hot plate (teppan) or a pan and flipping it with metal spatulas that are later used to cut up the Okonomiyaki. The finished product is then served with further toppings that may include okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter), nori, fish flakes, mayonnaise, and ginger. When this style of okonomiyaki is served with a layer of fried noodles on top (either ramen or udon is common), it is called . A thin variety of okonomiyaki made with a great deal of Welsh onion is called .
In Japan okonomiyaki is usually associated with the Kansai region, where it is thought to have originated, and Hiroshima. Different regions prefer different toppings and batters for okonomiyaki:
- In Kyoto, okonomiyaki is usually made with darker greens.
- In Hiroshima, the ingredients are layered rather than mixed together. The layers are typically the batter, cabbage/vegetables, bacon, optional items (squid, octopus, cheese, etc), , fried egg, and then a generous amount of okonomiyaki sauce on top. The order of the layers may vary slightly depending on the chef's style and preference and the ingredients will vary depending on the preference of the customer. Most people from Hiroshima claim that this is the original (and correct) way to make okonomiyaki.
- A dish similar to okonomiyaki that originates in Tokyo is called . The ingredients are finely chopped and mixed into the batter before frying. The mixture is far runnier than okonomiyaki, and it has a consistency comparable to a pool of melted cheese when cooked. It's then eaten directly off the grill using a small metal spatula. A great many monjayaki restaurants can be found in the Tsukishima district of Tokyo. Most also serve regular okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki in Japanese popular culture
Rumiko Takahashi's manga Ranma ½ features a young, entrepreneurial okonomiyaki chef named Ukyo Kuonji. Ukyo wears okonomiyaki spatulas strapped to her clothing at all times, and uses the utensils for arts both culinary and martial.See also
- Japanese cuisine
- Chijimi
External links
- [Rick LaPointe, Okonomi-yaki, as you like it, and you will. The Japan Times: July 28, 2002]
- [monja-yaki on Flickr (Photo)]
- [Hiroshima style okonomiyaki (Photos)]
- [Fukuoka-style Okonomiyaki (Photo)]
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