Okonomiyaki, Japanese Pizza

The word “Okonomiyaki” came from ‘okonomi’ means ‘according appetite’, and ‘yaki’ means ‘bake’. According to those means, okonomiyaki was a food which people can choose the topping according to his/her appetite.

Purportedly, Okonomiyaki was made by sailors because they wanted to ate pizza like he ever ate in Italy. Therefore, they mixed liquid wheat. In their home, they introduced that food in Kansai area. Okonomiyaki, firstly, was developing form from Funoyaki (fried wheat flour dough).

In Meiji Era, Funoyaki developed to Dondonyaki (added nori/seaweed, sausage, fish, and sauce). Dondonyaki have a form like omelette and rolled with chopsticks.

In Showa Era, Dondonyaki developed to Kyabetsukyaki because it used uster sauce. Okonomiyaki was final form of Kyabetsuyaki.

Okonomiyaki made from special wheat flour because baking powder, salt, and dashi was already inside. The flour diluted with water, add slices of cabbage, egg, cockle shells, shrimp, and squid or meat. In order to make dough soft, added yamaimo (kind of potato) and baked in flat wok.

According to the way in making okonomiyaki, there are two kinds of okonomiyaki.

First, okonomiyaki ala Kansai, added slices of cabbage inside the dough

Second, okonomiyaki ala Hiroshima, slices of cabbage just put above dough when it already has omelette form.

Both of them have very thick and sticky sauce.

The difference between both kinds of okonomiyaki is the sauce Okonomiyaki ala Kansai has mayonnaise inside the sauce, and okonomiyaki ala Hiroshima hasn’t.

Nowadays, okonomiyaki already served in restaurants with various toppings. Some of toppings are red ginger, yakisoba noodle, tenkasu, corn, green onion, dried bonito flakes, beans, etc. Because of that, okonomiyaki was one of Japan’s healthy fast food.