Takoyaki
![Takoyaki Takoyaki](https://media.timeout.com/images/105658355/750/422/image.jpg)
![Takoyaki Takoyaki](https://media.timeout.com/images/105658355/750/562/image.jpg)
Ubiquitous now throughout Japan and especially popular as a street food, takoyaki are thought to have originated in Osaka in the 1930s. These savoury balls around 3-5cm big, made with a flour-based batter and filled with pieces of octopus and pickled ginger.
Part of the fun of getting takoyaki is watching them get made: the vendor pours the batter into a special cast-iron mold and swizzles the balls around with a metal pick at rapid speed. Takoyaki are typically drenched in condiments like mayonnaise, Japanese barbecue-style sauce (a thicker, sweeter worcestershire sauce), bonito flakes and seaweed powder, and eaten while still searingly hot.