Hi there!
So if you’re looking for some Japanese food to try when you’re in Japan, you may give a taste to taiyaki.
This is a type of snack that you can find all over Japan, which you can also find at food stalls that are made fresh in front of you.
It’s basically a sort of waffle or “cake” (or waffle cake!) that comes with a filling.
The “classic” taiyaki is with an “anko” filling, with anko being a red bean paste.
But at food stalls you come across on the street in Japan, including in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Takayama, and Matsumoto.
Taiyaki sign
And there are typically many different filling flavors to choose from.
You can kind of think of it similar to cream-filled donuts.
Japanese language tip: (type of) FISH and GRILLED
Tai is the name of a specific type of fish.
Yaki basically means grilled.
You might see yaki as a part of some foods.
For example, takoyaki and okonomiyaki (more street foods to try!), yakisoba… and taiyaki.
You wouldn’t use yaki on its own, but in the case that it’s attached to these words, it refers to the food being grilled in some form.
So quite literally, taiyaki is grilled fish.
But in this case, there is no real fish that’s in this Japanese street snack.
Instead, it’s in the shape of a fish. And more specifically, it’s in the shape of the fish called tai.
More below on seeing taiyaki being made!
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Taiyaki made right in front of you
If you find a taiyaki shop, you might be able to watch the taiyaki be prepared! This means you can get fresh taiyaki, fresh off the grill!
This was at the Saturday morning market in Takayama along the Miyagawa River.
And then for another taiyaki shop…
At this shop on a little street called Nawate Street in Matsumoto, you don’t get as close up of the taiyaki being made in front you, but you can see that you are getting freshly made taiyaki too!
And if you’re into Japanese snacks, you can even find cooking classes in Japan that will teach you how to make Japanese snacks!
Taiyaki shop menu
And how much does it cost?
Some taiyaki might be a “regular” size, whereas others might be a “mini” size, but it will generally be around 100-200 yen (US$1-2) for a single person snack size.
See more on the cost of food in Japan.
So at this taiyaki shop in Matsumoto with normal size taiyaki, you can choose from a number of different flavors including red bean paste, custard cream, curry, cream cheese, strawberry milk cream, spicy beef, and tapioca.
Not all flavors may be ready when you arrive, so it also may require waiting for certain flavors to be made!
And in Takayama…
This taiyaki pop-up shop at the morning market had mini taiyaki. For easy calculation, you can think of 100 yen as being US$1.
HAPPY EATING TAIYAKI IN JAPAN!
