There are many different stories about the origin of this unique fish-shaped cake, but most believe that the famous street food of Phu Tang has a history of more than 100 years. A story says that in 1909, a baker named Seijiro Kanbei in Tokyo was the first to make this cake in the shape of a sea bream.
At that time, poor people in Japan no chance to eat sea bream. Therefore, this cheap and lucky cake became popular.
Taiyaki fish cake has a shell made from wheat flour and a filling made of crushed simmered azuki red beans mixed with a lot of sugar. The cake artisans will pour the dough into a hot mold shaped like a sea bream, then pour in the filling.
After the cake surface is golden, the two sides of the cake will be face down together and baked until the layer is brown. The crust becomes golden when eaten and has a crispy, spongy taste. Sea bream is pronounced “tai” in Japanese and the name of taiyaki also comes from that.
Today, in addition to the traditional red bean filling, taiyaki fish cakes have been modified with a variety of fillings such as egg cream, chocolate, caramel, cheese, green tea…
Since ancient times, Japanese people have had a tradition of eating sea bream on important occasions. Sea bream in Japanese culture symbolizes joy, prosperity and prosperity. That is probably one of the reasons why the simple fish-shaped taiyaki cake is so popular with Japanese people.
Not only is it a common dish at festivals, cake Taiyaki fish is also sold all year round at supermarkets and street stores in Phu Tang.
Shops in Japan sell taiyaki cakes of different sizes, with an average length of about 15cm, just enough to hold with two hands. Make a light snack. Taiyaki cakes are often stored in paper bags when sold to customers.
This type of cake can be eaten cold, but it is best enjoyed while still hot. The crispy taste of the crust blends perfectly with the soft, sweet red bean filling. Supermarkets in Japan now sell many types of taiyaki molds and ingredients so people can buy them and make them at home.
