I Want to Become a Takoyaki Master!

た こ や き！！！(takoyaki)

I would like to thank Hajime Mochizuki (right) and Kayoko Mochizuki (left) for giving me the wonderful experience of making takoyaki.

Disclaimer: For me and my friend Mochi, this is our first time making takoyaki and that requires us to cook something other than an egg, so we did the best we could under the instructions of the takoyaki master Kayoko. 

Do you have what it takes to become a takoyaki master? You may be wondering what takoyaki is. Allow me to explain.

Takoyaki is gooey, chewy, and delicious! Takoyaki is a ball-shaped snack that is convenient for the busy businessmen. Within the crusty brown ball, there is a gooey substance with a piece of a chewy octopus. You may find these balls of deliciousness all over Osaka. I was lucky enough to actually make fresh takoyaki and savor the taste with great friends I made at HPU.

Ingredients

1. Flour

2. Water

3. Baking powder

4. Egg

5. Vegetable oil/olive oil

6. Octopus

7. Green onion

8. Beni shouga (red pickle)

9. Seaweed flakes

10. Katsuobushi flakes (Otafuku brand)

11. Mayonnaise

12. Okonomi sauce (Otafuku brand)

The first thing you need to make takoyaki is of course an takoyaki machine maker. (I made the name up by the way.) You may find these in stores in Osaka and Kyoto. (I would've bought one for myself if not for the luggage weight restrictions.) In Osaka, you may even notice street vendors cooking up some fresh takoyaki with these machines. 

Step One 

Before we start, oil up the takoyaki machine maker. Then, mix flour, baking soda, and water together. When the mix is smooth, add an egg to the mix. Place the mix into each hole of the maker. After, add an octopus piece in the middle of each mix. Add green onions and beni shouga (red pickle) as toppings.

Oh no! The place is starting to get messy...

Step Two

The next step involves flipping the takoyaki over once the bottom has turned into a nice brown. (I used a chopstick to flip over the balls.) Keep doing this until the whole ball is a nice tan color.

Nice and crispy!

Step Three

Once the ball is evenly brown all over, place the balls onto a plate. Then, spread seaweed and katsuobushi flakes all over. After, spread mayonnaise and Okonomi sauce (Otafuku brand) all over as you please.

Add some flavor with seaweed and katsuobushi flakes.

Takoyaki is not takoyaki without the sauce!

Result

The result should look something like the picture below.

All that hard work and we finally did it. Congratulations! You are now a takoyaki master.

Extra

With friends, I think takoyaki taste much better. My friend Mochi personally likes his takoyaki with beer!

"Beer is waiting for me!"

Enjoy your freshly made takoyaki! If you haven't tried takoyaki yet, head over to Osaka now! You will not regret it. Thank you for reading.

- Estanislao "Stan" Cruz