Takoyaki, a Classic Food Sold at Stands

This video, titled "Japanese Street Food: Takosen" was uploaded by "Aden Films."

Osaka in Japan's Kansai region is famous for okonomiyaki and takoyaki, but this time we'll be introducing takoyaki and "takosen," two popular "B-Grade" cuisines.
The video also introduces a store that sells handmade takosen and shows how it's made.
Japanese cuisine is often associated with sushi and kappo cuisine, but the king of B-grade gourmet foods, takoyaki, introduced here is also a legitimate Japanese dish.
Today, takoyaki has made its way from East Asia to Southeast Asia and to the Americas as a representative Japanese food.

Takoyaki and Takosen - A Look at How the Classic Street Foods Are Made!

Photo：How to Make Takoyaki

・How To Make Takoyaki
- Make the dough by adding water, egg, and yamaimo (Japanese yams) to flour
- Boil the octopus in salted water, remove the slime and cut into pieces
- Let the dough sit for a day and night to blend
- Heat a specialty takoyaki machine and coat with a thin layer of oil and pour in the dough
- Add ingredients such as green onions, red ginger, tenkasu, shredded cabbage, and so on and finally add the main ingredient - octopus.
- Grill it while rolling it with a bamboo skewer until it is evenly golden brown.
- Takoyaki is ready when it is fluffy and round
- Top with sauce, green onions, dried seaweed, dried bonito flakes, etc.
From 0:28 in the video, you can see how they cook a large batch of takoyaki at once on a big takoyaki machine.

・How To Make Takosen
- Place the cooked takoyaki between shrimp flavored rice crackers
- Like takoyaki, top with sauce and other toppings

The popular toppings are the traditional okonomiyaki sauce, dried bonito flakes, dried seaweed, and mayonnaise, but in recent years, cheese, chili powder, and even chocolate sauce and maple syrup have become popular.
You can see the takosen being put together at 6:03 in the video.

The History of Takoyaki and Takosen

Photo：takoyaki

"Aizu-ya" is said to be the inventor of takoyaki, the comfort food of Osaka.
In the 1960s, takoyaki stands and night stalls were everywhere, and could be found especially in places like Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori.

Takoyaki was a popular food, but there was a lot of garbage because of it due to people eating it while walking.
Eventually, takosen, introduced in the video, was created from the eco-friendly idea of reducing waste by sandwiching takoyaki between shrimp crackers reducing the materials required to hold and eat it.

A Popular Souvenir! The Famous Takoyaki Shop "Wanaka"

Photo：Wanaka's takoyaki

Takosen is even available at izakaya and speciality stores.
The shop featured in the video is Wanaka, a famous takoyaki shop.
It's a specialty store for takoyaki and takosen, located mainly in Osaka.
The store, found at a shopping mall in Fukuoka, is popular for its food stall-style design.

Summary of Takoyaki and Takosen, the Kings of Japan's Food Stalls

Photo：takosen

Takoyaki and takosen are very simple Japanese foods.
The best part is that there are many ways to enjoy them as you can add your own toppings and customize the recipe how you like!
Try to find your own way to eat it!
Why not sit down and enjoy a glass of beer with some delicious takoyaki after watching the amazing takoyaki chefs of Osaka's Wanaka?