How to eat the original takoyaki | The original Osaka takoyaki is enjoyed in one bite, without sauce!
Osaka is well known for its konamon (wheat flour cuisine) culture. Of Osaka’s many gourmet offerings, the very popular and easily enjoyable Takoyaki (round octopus dumpling) is beloved by men and women, young and old alike.For this article, we visited Aizuya, home of the original takoyaki, to hear more about its invention, and learn the smart way to enjoy this iconic treat.
【Advised by】Aizuya（会津屋）
Table of Contents
The birth of takoyaki in Osaka
Aizuya originally started as a food stall in 1933, during the early years of the Showa period. The founder, ENDO Tomekichi, sold rajioyaki, a childhood snack which was the predecessor of takoyaki. At the time, western-introduced “high collar” culture was all the rage, and the naming of these treats was a nod to state-of-the-art societal accomplishments, such as “radios” and “radium” hot springs. Instead of octopus, they were filled with miso-flavored gyusuji (beef tendon) and konnyaku (jellylike konjac yam cake), a combination known as sujikon.
In 1935, two years after establishing the food stall, Endo received a comment from a customer, “You use meat in Osaka? In Akashi, they fill these with octopus.” So, he began filling his dumplings with tako (octopus), and takoyaki was born.
Aizuya now serves both takoyaki and rajioyaki, so don’t miss this opportunity to try and compare both.
What is the original takoyaki like?
The style of takoyaki commonly seen in Kanto, the region encompassing greater Tokyo, are slightly larger, making them more of a side dish than a snack. In comparison, Aizuya’s “Original Takoyaki” are smaller and lighter, easily handled with the fingers and popped into the mouth one after another. The batter is made with dashi (Japanese soup stock), and each dumpling contains a sizable chunk of octopus. As you chew, more and more savory flavor from both the dashi and the octopus will spread across your tastebuds.
Enjoy in a single bite, without sauce
The original takoyaki are meant to be enjoyed simply and without fuss, and are served without toppings such as sauce, katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna shavings), and aonori (green seaweed flakes). Simply pop them into your mouth just as they are, and enjoy! By skipping the sauce, you can further appreciate the toasty fragrance and fluffy texture of the cooked batter. At that time, there was no custom of topping takoyaki with sauce, so chefs focused on perfecting the flavor of the dumplings themselves.
The restaurant’s tables are set with bottles of thin sauce and sujoyu (vinegar soy sauce). Feel free to use these condiments if you’d like to change up the flavor mid way. In our case, the whole dozen takoyaki disappeared before we knew it!
How to reheat Aizuya’s original takoyaki
The takeout box is microwavable – leave the lid open, and microwave at 600 watts for about a minute. Takoyaki are also delicious when enjoyed cold, however, we recommend warming them to enjoy the soft, creamy batter.
To reheat from frozen, transfer your Aizuya original takoyaki to a plate, being sure to leave space between each. For four pieces, microwave at 600 watts for about one minute and ten seconds. Plastic wrap is not needed.
We heard that true aficionados use original-style takoyaki as fillings in misoshiru (miso soup) and osumashi (clear broth). Just imagine the dumpling batter soaking up the flavors of miso soup… this is definitely on our list of things to try next!
* The published information is current as of February 2023. Prices and other details are subject to change.
Aizuya was established in 1933 in Imazato, Osaka as a food stall selling rajioyaki, and later went on to develop Osaka’s first takoyaki. The main branch is now located in Tamade, Osaka. The restaurant also sells frozen versions and batter mixes, so you can enjoy their famous flavor at home. Aizuya Main Branch kindly provided the venue for this article.
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