Taiyaki is a Japanese confection in the shape of a fish with a traditional filling of red adzuki beans. Although the word “taiyaki” is translated from Japanese as “fried sea bream”, cookies have only a symbolic relation to fish. For the Japanese, sea bream means good luck and prosperity, since only the richest residents could afford dishes from it before.
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The iconic shape and wide selection of fillings have made taiyaki a popular street food, which no major holiday in Japan can do without. Products are in particular demand in winter, when they are bought for good luck in the coming year.
The Japanese consider taiyaki cookies, although the treats taste more like pies or waffles. But you can’t name taiyaki, but the combination of a slightly crispy crust and juicy filling makes them a great snack, which every baking lover is obliged to try.
The history of taiyaki cookies
Taiyaki for good luck: Japanese street food with sweet and hearty filling
Taiyaki was first cooked in 1909 in the Naniwaya confectionery in Tokyo. Baker Seiji Kanzo decided to make a traditional Japanese imagawayaki dessert in the shape of a fish to attract more customers. That’s how the tayaks appeared. The idea turned out to be so successful that fish waffles quickly became popular all over the country.
Cooking taiyaki is considered an art. Special cast-iron molds are heated, the dough is poured into them, and then the filling is added. Bakers fill out the molds with great skill and speed and at the same time make sure that the dough is distributed evenly. Initially, the filling for taiyaki was Japanese sweet anko paste made from red beans. Over time, the recipe for taiyaki has changed, and today there are many variations of it with additives for every taste.
