Takoyaki are getting known by non-Japanese as one of “B-grade cuisine”, cheap but tasty local food.
Takoyaki are octopus balls whose main ingredients are flour and octopus. Other ingredients are eggs, minced cabbage and stock.
Kansai people do not need takoyaki stands because…
They are bite-size balls and served with Worcestershier-like sauce. They are one of three major Konamon cuisine along with okonomiyaki and yakisoba.
Eating otopus is not common in the western countries, so some people do not believe that Japanese people eat octopus balls. But believe me, they are very good!
I love konamon foods, though I live in Kumamoto where there are not many konamon cuisine stands. Even worse, takoyaki stands are closing in my neighborhood. Now one pack of takoyaki is a car-drive away, which used to be a bicycle-ride away.
I complained about it to a friend of mine from Kansai region, the home of konamon foods. he said flatly ” What’s the problem with that? “
At first I could not understand why losing takoyaki stands did not matter for him, but as we talked on, I got it.
Kansai people rarely buy Takoyaki!
They have a hot plate and make it at home.
Kumamoto people do not have custom of making takoyaki at home. But if I keep losing the stands, I may start trying to make it.
