Asia Grace


Takoyaki snack shop

Kyushu, Japan

Fresh baked squid "muffins" are served at this small shop on a street in Kyushu. The hot snacks are snatched up by students.

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Reader Stories

kanako onishi writes:

This is a Takoyaki shop. Takoyaki is a Japanese popular snack, a kind of pancake. A piece of octopus is inside of each bit.

Alexandre writes:

It was in august the 20th : 30 years old, my birthday. In a street of Roppongi in Tokyo, many stands with food, gifts and music. And with my girlfriend, we saw big big takoyaki. I couldn't resist to taste a plate... delicious. We were seating in the street, eating, watching people. I'm french, it was for me my greatest birthday.

Ben Schiendelman writes:

My first night ever in Japan, I was wandering around Narita jet-lagged and hungry, and I saw a shop selling these from a window. I bought a little box of half a dozen, and popped one into my mouth. Barely chewing, I swallowed - only to find that the tako inside the warm exterior was scalding, burning my throat all the way down.
Two days later, I had no fear of any Japanese food.

Jim Quirk writes:

To help westerners understand this snack a bit more they are actually more akin to dumplings but are round like meat balls. The chef turns the doughy mixture very delicately with two bamboo tooth picks so they end up round even though the mold is a half sphere. The high end shops use whole baby octopus and the cheaper version at fairs etc. are octopus pieces. One of these stands are always around temples during holidays at least in Tokyo.