One of the greatest pleasures of any traveler going to Japan is sampling Japanese cuisine. From noodles to high-quality beef and from fish to minute desserts, there are literary hundreds of dishes to try.
On my way to Senso-ji Temple Complex in Tokyo, I stopped by a food stall selling taiyaki – a fished shaped cake. The word taiyaki literally means “baked sea bream” and, as the translation denotes, this snack is in the shape of a fish. (The bream is a fish used in many Japanese dishes.)
Usually, taiyaki is filled with red bean paste made from sweetened azuki beans, but it can also be filled with many other ingredients, such as custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato. Occasionally, you’ll also find shops selling taiyaki filled with okonomiyaki (another kind of cake made with cabbage), gyoza (meat and vegetable dumplings) or sausages.
Once the batter is made, it is poured in a fish-shaped mold. The filling is pressed between two cakes and then cooked for a few minutes. If you’re on the go, many shops haven benches in front where customers can sit down and enjoy their snack.
