Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a traditional Japanese pastry, almost like a pancake/crepe. It is famous in the Hiroshima and the Kasai areas, however, it can be found anywhere in Japan. It's main ingredient is cabbage and, in Hiroshima, is layered with batter and pork. The Hiroshima way of creating the delicacy, is to layer the ingredients based on the customer's desires. Okonomiyaki is seen as more of a treat than a meal, although it is still Hiroshima's most popular food.

Okonomiyaki's background has never been specified, as nothing really dates back to it's creation. There is a possible predecessor dish known as funoyaki that was a Japanese crepe, however nothing really does explain it's history. In Hiroshima, it became popular after an earthquake in 1923. The people of Hiroshima started to make Okonomiyaki as something to do as they nothing more or left to do. It later caught on in other cities in Japan and became a delicacy for the people.

Today, the Japanese have made Okonomiyaki a food that varies from town to town. Those cities and town that actually serve it prepare it in their own original ways. In English, Okonomiyaki translates into " As-you-like-it Pancake." Multiple restaurants specialize in making the dish and customers can even prepare it themselves. If the customer does not know how to make one, the chief for the meal can guide customers on how to make it.

Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is pretty much what anybody could ever want in a food. It's a pancake that you could have topped with anything you want, That is why it is called the "As-you-like-it Pancake". It is most popular in western cities like Hiroshima and Osaka. There are two types of Okonomiyaki for the two cities Kansai Style for Osaka and Hiroshima Style for Hiroshima. The Kansai Style is more common in Japan. People who live in the areas where Okonomiyaki is the best will usually go to restaurants to get their Okonomiyaki. Most of these kinds of restaurants have special iron griddles and allow costumers to make their meals by themselves. All though it sounds amazing at first, you might be a little disappointed when you find out they aren't as sweet or fluffy as our American pancakes we love. Rather they are usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam or kimchi (a Korean dish with lots of vegetables). Most people think it's more appropriate to compare Okonomiyaki with pizza. Okonomiyaki is made with almost every food you could want. Even though the main ingredients are batter and cabbage, you could top your Okonomiyaki with anything, from seafood to cheese.