BLOGブログ

2018.03.09.Fri

Experience a Different Side of Takoyaki in Nishikujo, Osaka

Takoyaki. A word known to many foreigners. But what exactly is Takoyaki? And where did it come from? Today I’m going to tell you about the history of Takoyaki and introduce a Takoyaki place in Nishikujo, Osaka that offers something a little unusual.

Beloved Snack from Kansai

“Tako” means octopus and “Yaki” means fry, so Takoyaki literally means fried octopus in Japanese.
Takoyaki is not the only food with such a name, there are similar types of fried foods, like “Ikayaki” (fried squid) or “Negiyaki” (fried leaks) in Japan as well.
The round Takoyaki alone, however made it to the top of popular snacks in the Kansai region. But where exactly did this popular food come from?

Takoyaki has its origin more than a hundred years ago, in the 1910’s. Back then, there was a popular food in Higashi-Osaka that was called “Radio-Yaki”. It contained beef tendon and konyaku and had the same round shape as today’s Takoyaki.
You may wonder why it was called Radio-Yaki. The reason is that at the time, the radio symbolized wealth and the western style, which was seen as cool and therefore the popular snack was named Radio-Yaki.
Later, octopus replaced beef tendon and with Radio-Yaki slowly turning into Takoyaki, it became the new popular snack of the Kansai region.

Did all this talk about food make you hungry yet? Let’s try having some Takoyaki at a local Takoyaki shop in Nishikujo.

Chain Restaurant with a Specialty

“Takoya Teru” is a Takoyaki shop close to Nishikujo station. Actually it’s so close, it only takes about 30 seconds by foot from Nishikujo station.
“Takoya Teru” is a Takoyaki chain that runs a total of 4 shops here in Osaka. It’s a well-loved restaurant with a specialty.

Takoya Teru’s menu offers a variety of food, not just Takoyaki. They also sell fried chicken, “Takosen”, Japanese croquettes, beer and ice cream.
Everything looks delicious and appealing to the eye, but nothing beats Takoyaki with an extra topping of grilled cheese. And 6 Takoyaki with the topping cost only 400 Yen. That’s really cheap.

The Perfect Combo of Cheese and Takoyaki

After waiting a few minutes for your order to finish, the staff will hand you your Takoyaki. Just look at all the melty cheese covering the Takoyaki. This is definitely going to fill an empty stomach.

Let’s try the cheesy Takoyaki! In Japanese, you always say “Itadakimasu” before eating food someone has made for you, so: Itadakimasu!

Even to Takoyaki lovers, cheese might be an unexpected topping, but the combination is actually great. The melted cheese compliments the Takoyaki’s ingredients really well and is an interesting take on the usual topping of sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. On top of that, this variation will definitely fill your stomach.
And even if you’re not a fan of the cheese, just go for Takoya Teru’s Takoyaki with a different topping.