Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake filled with red bean paste, made using a special pan called taiyaki-ki. The batter is similar to waffle or pancake batter, and the traditional filling is sweet red bean paste. Other sweet and savory fillings are also used. Taiyaki-ki is a cast iron device filled with batter and ingredients, cooked over an open fire until done.
Taiyaki is a Japanese cake that is normally filled with red bean paste and cooked in a special pan shaped like a fish. When done, due to the pan, the final cake looks like a detailed fish. While the food itself is called taiyaki, the fish-shaped mold in which it is created is called taiyaki-ki. The name means “baked sea bream”, despite the fact that the pie does not contain any fish. The food is similar to a Korean snack known as bungeoppang which is also a fish-shaped cake filled with red bean paste.
The regular batter used for taiyaki is similar, if not the same, to the waffle or pancake batter used in the United States and other countries. It is a mixture of flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. The loose batter is needed to catch the fish details of the pan as it cooks.
The standard filling for taiyaki is a very sweet red bean paste, also called azuki bean paste. The red beans are boiled in a pan together with the sugar. Once the beans are very soft and the sugar has reduced to a thick syrup, the entire mixture is mashed into a paste. This paste can be re-cooked to change the texture or can be used as is. Azuki bean paste is used in many East Asian desserts.
Although red bean paste is the traditional filling, the popularity of the treat has led vendors and chefs to explore other options. For a sweet cake, ingredients like chocolate can be baked inside. Custard, fruit, and cream fillings are common. Some foreign influences, such as the hazelnut spread, have also found their way into the pastry shop.
A taiyaki can also contain a variety of savory fillings. These can range from Chinese sausages to bacon. Other fillings can also be found, such as potatoes and vegetables. The savory variety also comes in a variety of flavors that are meant to emulate popular fast-food restaurants, such as pizza and cheeseburgers.
Taiyaki-ki is normally a cast iron device much like a waffle maker. It consists of two plates with a hollowed out area in the centre, each side patterned to create a fishy impression on whatever is poured into it. The device is filled with the batter and ingredients, closed and then cooked over an open fire until done. Most industrialized shops and suppliers use metal molds that can cook several taiyaki at once.
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