Okonomiyaki: A Japanese Omelet お好み焼き

What's in Okonomiyaki?

An institution in Japan and especially in Osaka, where it comes from, okonomiyaki (お 好 み 焼 き) is a specialty halfway between the garnished omelet and a pancake. It is often (wrongly) compared to pizza: the two specialties, however, have nothing in common apart from the round shape.

This dish can be enjoyed in many popular restaurants across the country. Okonomiyaki literally means "cooked as you like".

All okonomiyaki consist of a base mixture: wheat flour, egg, fish broth, and white cabbage. The Osaka mixture often contains seafood and nagaimo, a type of yam. Various ingredients can then be incorporated into the mixture or just added on top: pork, egg, cheese, squid, bonito, seaweed, shrimp, spring onion ... etc. The pancake thus prepared is then cooked on a hot plate (teppan), either in the kitchen or directly on the table in front of the customer at a restaurant. The final dish is then coated with sauce, mayonnaise or okonomi sauce.

Today okonomiyaki is a Japanese specialty considered a party dish to be shared with friends, directly on the teppan (hotplate), however, this has not always been the case. Made of inexpensive ingredients, easy to prepare, it quickly became a dish of times of crisis, for example after the Kanto earthquake in 1923, or in the aftermath of the Second World War. Okonomiyaki is a very hearty and nutritious dish.

• Read more: Culinary specialties of Kanto

History of Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki originates from funoyaki, which was a kind of sweet pancake eaten during Buddhist ceremonies, from the 16th century. Then during the Meiji era (1868-1912), this dish spread beyond monasteries and renamed mojiyaki.

Then after the Kanto earthquake, a savory version of this dish was eaten regularly. Due to this, the dish is altered and Western influences in Kyoto were added such as shallots and Worchester sauce. After World War II, okonomiyaki became more and more common because it was possible to eat without rice, which had become too expensive.

• Read more: Takoyaki, a Japanese speciality

• The Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is quite unique the ingredients are not mixed but cooked on top of each other, layer upon layer. Noodles and eggs top it all off. The people of Hiroshima are very proud of their recipe!

• In the Kanto region, it is called monjayaki rather than okonomiyaki - a more liquid consistency of the mixture is prepared and poured on the griddle. While the other okonomiyaki are eaten with chopsticks, this version is eaten using a small spatula.

There are many variations on this recipe such as the finer Okinawa hirayachi, or the kaki-oko from Okayama prefecture, prepared with oysters.

How to make an Okonomiyaki at home

• Nagataya, Hiroshima

To try the Hiroshima version of okonomiyaki, we recommend the Nagataya restaurant, located not far from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The special house sauce and the excellent noodles have made the establishment famous.

Address: 1-7-19 Otemachi 1F, Naka, Hiroshima 730-0051