Taiyaki

nihongo|Taiyaki|鯛焼き|, lit. "baked sea bream" is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, or cheese. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside.

Taiyaki is made using taiyaki, regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden brown.

Taiyaki was first baked by a sweet shop "Naniwaya" in Azabu, Tokyo in 1909, and now can be found all over Japan, especially at food courts of supermarkets and nihongo|Japanese festivals|祭|matsuri.

This is similar to nihongo|imagawayaki|今川焼き, which is a thick round cake also filled with sweet azuki bean paste or custard.

In popular culture

Taiyaki was the theme of a 1975–76 Japanese hit single, "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" ("Swim! Taiyaki") sung by Masato Shimon. The single sold more than 4.5 million copies, and remains the largest-selling Japanese single to this day (as of February 2007). Originally written for a children's TV program, the song was about a taiyaki escaping from the vendor stand into the sea, enjoying his brief freedom there until he is finally caught by a fisherman and consumed. It was a thinly veiled satire of the overworked Japanese businessman, with whom the record struck a chord, resulting in the unexpected mega-hit.

It is also the favorite food of Ayu Tsukimiya from Kanon.

It is practically the only food that Golden Darkness eats in To Love-Ru.

Fish shaped cake is mentioned in the videogame Portal by one of the modules making up the game's villian, GLaDOS, who seems to only talk of cake recipes, some of which become really absurd.

The Toxic Avenger happily eats his first Taiyaki in The Toxic Avenger Part II on his trip to Tokyo.

ee also

*Cuisine of Japan
*Wagashi

References