Taiyaki (γŸγ„η„Όγ)

This fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste is a classic Japanese streetfood with the perfect cripy-outside creamy-inside texture. With its simple base, this dessert can be easily with various filling and toppings.

Equipment

  • Taiyaki pan

    • Ingredients

    8 servings

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 8 tbsp sweet red bean paste (anko)
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (for greasing the grill)

    • Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then whisk with sugar.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg and whole milk until well combined.
    3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk well. Keep the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour to rest until the batter becomes smooth.
    4. Preheat the taiyaki pan over medium-low heat and grease with neutral oil.
    5. Fill the pan mold about 60% full of batter. In the center of each mold, put 1 tbsp of sweet red bean paste and pour more batter on top to cover it.
    6. Close the lid and immediately flip.
    7. Cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on that side. Then flip and cook for another 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.
    taiyaki taiyaki-inside taiyaki-icecream

    Recipe/ Source Websites

    Just One Cookbook - This website gives a very detailed walkthrough of the process, providing images for each step with a concise description. It also provides tips throughout the instructions as well as for serving and storing the food.
    Chef Iso - I think it's interesting how they used gifs instead of images; they were engaging and helped me better understand the process while being short enough that they didn't become a distraction. They also provided images of the various equipment that is required for the recipe and overall, the website is organized very effectively with the way that different pieces of information are partitioned.
    Food Network - Although this website isn't necessarily a recipe page, it gives specific tips and suggestions for making taiyaki and choosing the best ingredients, which seems helpful for those who want to create a grocery list.

    Non-recipe Websites

    Largo Studio - The motion graphics and the way text and image moves while scrolling feel so satisfying and work well with the neutral color palette, which avoids being visually overwhelming.
    Simon - I like the color palette of this site and how the text is aligned to the left, middle, and right. It's very fun to hover over different things and see how they interact with the cursor.
    Virtual Fashion Archive - The excessive use of negative space and lack of tabs makes me feel like im walking through a gallery, but the moving effects color-changing text makes it feel fun and interactive.