Taiyaki -日本一たい焼

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”
― Ruth Reichl

First of all, Merry Christmas! I know I’m late, but I guess it’s the thought that counts, right? LOL

So, the day before yesterday, I went to the most amazing and delicious Taiyaki Baker ever! For those who are not familiar with the name, according to Wikipedia, Taiyaki is:

Taiyaki (鯛焼き, literally “baked sea bream“) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. It imitates the shape of the Tai (Japanese red seabream), which it is named after. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside.

Taiyaki is made using 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.^[1]

Taiyaki is believed to have originated in Tokyo during the Meiji era, but it has been forgotten among Japanese people because of wartime shortage during World War II, and can now be popular all over Japan, especially at food courts of supermarkets and at Japanese festivals (祭 matsuri).

So, it looks like this:

The name of the baker is 日本一たい焼 (Nippon Ichi Taiyaki), and is located in Toyota, Aichi-ken.

I ate both custard and azuki fillings, and I must say that they are amazing! I literally had a food orgasm! And each one of them is very cheap! I don’t remember the exact price, but it’s around 165¥. The fillings are not too sweet, and the skin is crispy and delicious! I honestly recommend it!

Oh, and just one tip if you ever have a chance to stop by there: when you order, make sure to use the term 匹 (hiki), like 一匹（ippiki), 二匹（nihiki), 三匹（sanbiki), 四匹（yonhiki), 五匹（gohiki), 六匹（ropiki), 七匹（nanahiki), 八匹（happiki), 九匹（kyuuhiki), 十匹（juppiki). This is the counter to count small animals, like cats, dogs and fish! And even though the taiyaki is a food shaped like a fish, the people who work at the baker’s balcony use the term hiki! 🙂

If you know other places with delicious taiyaki, please, leave your comment below! I would love to try them! 😉

Rosanna M.I.