Okonomiyaki: a versatile Japanese dish and how to make it at home

Okonomiyaki is a popular and versatile Japanese dish. Its name literally translates into Spanish as “whatever you like, grilled.” Originally from Osaka and Hiroshima, each region has its characteristic style of preparing it.

Okonomiyaki has its roots in Japan’s post-war years, when scarce food led people to create dishes with available ingredients. It is a type of pancake or thick tortilla made of flour dough, egg and chopped cabbage, mixed with a variety of ingredients such as meat (usually pork belly or squid), seafood, cheese, vegetables, etc.

Traditionally, in okonomiyaki restaurants, customers sit around a hot griddle built into the table (teppan), where the dish is prepared and cooked. The chef or the diner himself mixes the ingredients into a dough and cooks it directly on the hot griddle.

Once cooked, this meal is served on the hot griddle. It is seasoned with a thick sauce called okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but sweeter), Japanese mayonnaise, and is often sprinkled with dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and dried seaweed (aonori). It is usually cut into small pieces with a spatula and eaten directly from the grill with chopsticks.

Okonomiyaki is a casual and fun dish in Japan. Its name reflects the idea that it can be made to suit the consumer. It is very popular at festivals, where visitors can customize it with a variety of ingredients according to their preference.