Okonomiyaki

is a Japanese savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients (mixed, or as toppings) cooked on a '' teppan'' (flat griddle). Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include ''okonomiyaki'' sauce (made with Worcestershire sauce), ''aonori'' (dried seaweed flakes), ''katsuobushi'' (bonito flakes), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger.

''Okonomiyaki'' is mainly associated with two distinct variants from Hiroshima or the Kansai region of Japan, but is widely available throughout the country, with toppings and batters varying by area. The name is derived from the word , meaning "how you like" or "what you like", and , meaning "grilled". It is an example of ( in the Kansai dialect), or flour-based Japanese cuisine.

A liquid-based ''okonomiyaki'', popular in Tokyo, is called ''monjayaki''. Outside of Japan, it can also be found served in Manila, Taipei, Bangkok, and Jakarta by street vendors.

History

A thin crêpe-like confection called ' may be an early precursor to ''okonomiyaki''. encyclopedia vol. 3, p. 445, article on ''okonomiyaki'' by Tekishū Motoyama 本山荻舟 (1881-1958) Records of the word appear as far back as the 16th century, as written about by tea master Sen no Rikyū,, p.168 and though the dish's ingredients are unclear, it may have included ''fu'' ( wheat gluten). By the late Edo period (1603–1867), ''funoyaki'' referred to a thin crêpe baked on a cooking pot, with miso basted on one side. This confection is the ancestor of the modern confections , which is also called in Kyoto and Osaka, and ''taiko-yaki'' (also known as imagawayaki), which both use , a sweet bean paste.

In the Meiji era (1868–1912), , a related confection, was popular with children at , shops selling cheap sweets. This was made by drawing letters (''monji'') or pictures with flour batter on a '' teppan'' (iron griddle) and adding ingredients of choice. The confectionary was also called , from the onomatopoeia of the stall sellers beating drums to attract customers.

The first appearance of the word "okonomiyaki" was at a shop in Osaka in the 1930s. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake when people lacked amenities, it became a pastime to cook these crêpes, and after World War II (when there was a short supply of rice) ''okonomiyaki'' emerged as an inexpensive and filling dish for all ages, often with savory toppings, such as meat, seafood, and vegetables. This "''okonomiyaki'' boom" saw household equipment and ingredients for the dish become commercially available. ''Monjiyaki'' also developed into the related modern dish , which has a more runny batter due to more added water, resulting in a different cooked consistency.

The ' (cheap Western-style cuisine) of Kyoto, which developed in the Taishō period (1912–1926), may have produced an early form of modern savory ''okonomiyaki'' in the form of a pancake with Worcestershire sauce and chopped scallion., p.95

Variations by region

The dish is known for two distinct main variants, one in Kansai and Osaka and one in Hiroshima. Another variety is ''hirayachi'', a thin and simple type made in Okinawa.

Kansai area

''Okonomiyaki'' in the Kansai or Osaka style is the predominant version of the dish, found throughout most of Japan. The batter is made of flour, grated '' nagaimo'' (a long type of yam), '' dashi'' or water, eggs, shredded cabbage, and usually contains other ingredients such as green onion, meat (usually thinly sliced pork belly or American bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, konjac, mochi, or cheese.

It is sometimes compared to an omelette or a pancake and is sometimes referred to as a "Japanese pizza" or "Osaka soul food". The dish can be prepared in advance, allowing customers to use a ''teppan'' or special hotplates to fry after mixing the ingredients. They may also have a diner-style counter where the cook prepares the dish in front of the customers.

It is prepared much like a pancake. The batter and other ingredients are pan-fried on both sides on a teppan using metal spatulas that are later used to cut the dish when it has finished cooking. Cooked ''okonomiyaki'' is topped with ingredients that include ''okonomiyaki'' sauce (made with Worcestershire sauce), ''aonori'' (seaweed flakes), ''katsuobushi'' (bonito flakes), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger ('' beni shōga'').

When served with a layer of fried noodles (either '' yakisoba'' or udon), the resulting dish is called , the name of which may be derived from the English word "modern" or as a contraction of , meaning "a lot" or "piled high" signifying the volume of food from having both noodles and ''okonomiyaki''. is a thinner variation of ''okonomiyaki'' made with a great deal of scallions, comparable to Korean '' pajeon'' and Chinese green onion pancakes.

A variation called ''kashimin-yaki'' is made of chicken and tallow instead of pork in Kishiwada, Osaka. In Hamamatsu, takuan (pickled daikon) is mixed in okonomiyaki. Stewed sweet kintoki-mame is mixed in okonomiyaki in Tokushima Prefecture.

Hiroshima area

In the city of Hiroshima, there are over 2000 okonomiyaki restaurants, and the prefecture has more of those restaurants per capita than any other place in Japan. , a thin pancake topped with green onions and bonito flakes or shrimp, became popular in Hiroshima prior to World War II. After the atomic bombing of the city in August 1945, ''issen yōshoku'' became a cheap way for the surviving residents to have food to eat. Because the original ingredients were not always easy to obtain, many of the street vendors and shops began making it , using whatever ingredients were available.

The ingredients are layered rather than mixed. The layers are typically batter, cabbage, pork, and yakisoba. Optional items such as squid, octopus, dried bonito flakes, and other seafood, as well as nori flakes or powder, mung bean sprouts, egg, chicken, cheese, and other ingredients, depending on the preferences of the cook and the customer. Noodles (''yakisoba'', udon) are also used as a topping with fried egg and a generous amount of ''okonomiyaki'' sauce.

The amount of cabbage used is usually three to four times the amount used in the Osaka style. It starts out piled very high and is pushed down as the cabbage cooks. The order of the layers may vary slightly depending on the chef's style and preference, and ingredients vary depending on the preference of the customer. This style is also called ''Hiroshima-yaki'' or ''Hiroshima-okonomi''.

In and around the Hiroshima area, there are a number of variations on the style. is made with ground meat instead of pork belly in Fuchū, Hiroshima. Oysters (''kaki'') are mixed in okonomiyaki to make ''kaki-oko'' in Hinase, Okayama. On the island of Innoshima, a variety called (or for short) includes udon, bonito flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and vegetables fried with uncooked batter. Together with "Onomichiyaki", in'oko is considered a B-class gourmet food along the Shimanami Kaidō. There is a restaurant in Hiroshima where customers can order jalapeños, tortilla chips, chorizo, and other Latin American items either in—or as a side dish to—okonomiyaki.

Otafuku, one of the most popular brands of okonomiyaki sauce, is based in Hiroshima and has an okonomiyaki museum and a cooking studio there. Okonomi-mura, in Naka-ku in Hiroshima, was the top food theme park destination for families in Japan according to an April 2004 poll.

Okinawa

''Hirayachi'' ( ryu, ヒラヤーチー ''hirayaachii'') is a thin, very simple Okinawan pancake-like dish similar to buchimgae. It is basically "a savory Okinawan crepe with leeks", and is sometimes called "Okinawan style okonomiyaki". The name means "fry flat" in the Okinawan language.

People cook it at home, so there are few ''okonomiyaki'' restaurants in Okinawa, with none of them serving hirayachi. The ingredients consist of eggs, flour, salt, black pepper and green onions, fried with a little oil in a pan.

Other areas

The Tsukishima district of Tokyo is popular for both ''okonomiyaki'' and ''monjayaki'' (the district's main street is named "Monja Street"). In some areas of Kyoto city, an old-style ''okonomiyaki'' called ''betayaki'' (べた焼き) is served. The dish is prepared in layers of thin batter, shredded cabbage and meat, with a fried egg and noodles.

''Okonomiyaki'' is popular streetfare in cities including Manila, Taipei, Bangkok, and Jakarta.

See also

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References

Bibliography

* (World Encyclopedia, in Japanese).
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External links

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What is Okonomiyaki? - Okonomiyaki, an Overview.
The history of Okonomiyaki and Okonomiyaki sauce in Hiroshima.

Okonomiyaki; what it is, how to cook it, and a sample recipe.

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Culture in Hiroshima Prefecture
Culture in Osaka Prefecture
Japanese cuisine
Okinawan cuisine
Pancakes
Table-cooked dishes
Tourist attractions in Hiroshima Prefecture