Taiyaki is a popular Japanese street food that looks like a fish but is actually a sweet dessert. These fish-shaped cakes (the fish is a “tai,” or sea bream) traditionally contain sweet red bean paste, but lately, you can find many variations with fillings like custard, chocolate, or even cheese.
At specialty Taiyaki shops, you can often watch them being made, and they’re served fresh off the griddle. Warm Taiyaki is a popular snack to eat while walking around.
A Taste of Nostalgia: Reheating Taiyaki at Home
One weekend in June, after helping out with farm work at my parents’ house, I brought home some Taiyaki that a neighborhood lady had given me. My wife, my son, and I ate them together for dessert after dinner. Even though they had cooled off on the way home, Taiyaki can easily be reheated. I microwaved them for about two minutes, then popped them in the oven for another two minutes. This made them taste just like they were freshly made, with a soft inside and a crispy outside.
Taiyaki has been a familiar treat to me since I was a kid, and it had been a while since I enjoyed them so much.
Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun
Here’s a great piece of information that shows just how popular Taiyaki is in Japan:
In 1975, a song called “Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun” (Swim! Taiyaki) was featured on a children’s TV show. Its unique lyrics, about a Taiyaki escaping from the shop and swimming in the ocean, and catchy melody made a huge splash on the show, and it was released as a single record.
That single record sold approximately 4.536 million copies and still holds the record for the best-selling single record in Japan.
Additional information:
- Taiyaki (たい焼き): A Japanese fish-shaped cake. The name comes from “tai” (sea bream), a fish it resembles, and “yaki” (grilled or baked).
