Takoyaki is made with a batter of wheat flower and dashi, a savory soup stock. The batter is poured onto a hot iron plate which has round indentation where the batter and ingredients cook. Various ingredients are added into the batter as it cooks. The most common ingredients are octopus, cabbage, and pickled ginger. However, many takoyaki establishments get creative and make it with cheese, beef, shrimp, anything you can name!

If you walk around Osaka’s Dotonbori downtown district, you will find takoyaki stalls set up all over the place, wafting their savory aroma into the air.

The ingredients in the iron plate are rotated so they cook evenly. Each establishment has their own way of cooking takoyaki, so it is fun to compare the unique flavors of each place. The traditional way of eating takoyaki is topped with a sweet and savory sauce, light mayonnaise, and mild seaweed.