Japanese Food 100 – #14 Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is savory pancakes made with various ingredients.
The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning “what you like” or “what you want”, and yaki meaning “grilled” or “cooked”.

Customers get to choose their own favorite ingredients and sometimes even cook the pancakes themselves at the table.

Its main ingredients are wheat flour, eggs, dashi and Nagaimo (Chinese Yum).
Typical ingredients such as shredded cabbage, green onion, meat, seafood and other ingredients.  Usually, you can choose what you want to put in your Okonomiyaki as name has come from “what you like” besides base ingredients.  So, Okonomiyaki is one of the vegetarian friendly Japanese food.

Okonomiyaki is served with toppings. Typical toppings are thick and a bit sweet “Okonomiyaki” sauce, Japanese Mayonnaise, “Aonori” (shredded dry seaweed), “Katsuobushi” (bonito flakes), and “Beni Shoga” (pickkled ginger).

Okonomiyaki is widely available throughout Japan but a lot more popular in Kansai or Hiroshima.

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