Ni: Floro Mercene
Taiyaki is a fish-shaped pastry with a creamy inner filling. The most common filling is red bean paste (anko in Japanese). Taiyaki literally means “baked sea bream,” and is a street snack that has been enjoyed in Japan for decades. There’s no fish in this sweet treat, the name actually comes from the fish-shaped mold that the snack is baked into.
An adorable, anime-style shape of fish is “tai”, sea bream, which is considered as a symbol of good fortune and happiness, and so is the filling of azuki (red beans). So, a taiyaki is one full of happiness.
Taiyaki is now making waves around the world. One of the reasons that its popularity spread outside Japan is through fans of the anime, “Kanon”. There are many scenes that the heroine of the story, a girl, Aya Tsukimiya, was happily eating her favorite snack. This caught the attention of ‘Kanon’’ fans and they tried to find out what that snack is.
They also wanted to try eating it. So, that’s how they found out it was taiyaki, a street snack in Japan.
There are many different flavors and variations popping up around the world. In Seattle, USA, for example, there is a taiyaki food truck at a business park. Each taiyaki is made to order, using cast iron taiyaki-mold with flame, cooked in front of you. For a big surprise to Japanese people, their best seller taiyaki is “Bacon Taiyaki”. The filling is freshly chopped green onions, a slice of cheese, and four pieces of thick bacon slices. People love it. There’s no taiyaki with red bean paste. But in New York, there are many types of taiyaki, from the original to the newer versions.
