What is okonomiyaki? The history of okonomiyaki and the differences between okonomiyaki in Kansai and Hiroshima

I'm sure there are many people who want to eat okonomiyaki when they travel to Japan. If you know about the history of okonomiyaki beforehand, you will be able to enjoy it even more in Japan.

In this article, we will introduce what kind of food okonomiyaki is and the history of okonomiyaki.

What is okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki is a dish made by adding ingredients such as eggs, cabbage, and meat to a flour batter mixed with water and grilling it on a griddle.

Once completed, it is eaten with a special sauce and green seaweed or bonito flakes.

History of Okonomiyaki

“Funoyaki”, the original okonomiyaki

Sen no Rikyu is said to be the creator of okonomiyaki.

During the Muromachi period, tea master Sen no Rikyu began using “Funoyaki'' as tea sweets. Funoyaki is a dough made by kneading udon flour with water and sake, then rolling it out into a thin layer, baking it, spreading it with miso, and rolling it up. It is said to be the prototype of Japanese okonomiyaki.

Establishment of modern okonomiyaki

During the post-war famine era, when people were looking for food to satisfy their hunger, the candy shop's “Issen Yoshoku” (Issen Yoshoku), which was popular among children, attracted attention.

“Issen Yoshoku'' is a dish made by placing green onions on flour dissolved in water and grilling it.

It was born when pork was placed on top of this dish called Issen Yoshoku and it was sold as “Okonomiyaki.''

Is okonomiyaki Kansai? Hiroshima?

When most people think of okonomiyaki, they think of Kansai or Hiroshima.

However, the method and ingredients are different for each.

Here we will introduce the characteristics of okonomiyaki from each region.

Characteristics of Kansai-style okonomiyaki

Kansai-style okonomiyaki is characterized by mixing cabbage and pork belly with flour dissolved in water. The mixture is then grilled on an iron plate. Once it's cooked to a certain extent, turn it over and adjust it so that it's cooked all the way through. Once completed, top with sauce, mayonnaise, green seaweed, and dried bonito flakes.

Characteristics of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki

The characteristic of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is that it is made by rolling out a thin layer of flour dissolved in water, then placing toppings such as cabbage, bean sprouts, and pork belly on top of the dough and baking it. Add more noodles, turn over and wait until cooked through. The biggest feature of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is that it has noodles inside.

summary

Okonomiyaki has gone through a lot of history to become what it is today. The taste and ingredients vary depending on the region, so we recommend trying to find the type of okonomiyaki that suits you.

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