Okonomiyaki ingredients in Japan

[Reutte]

Hey!

Got a quick Japanese food question. I want to make some okonomiyaki in the US. I've been checking various recipes all over the internet and I've found plenty. The thing that confuses me is that almost every recipe that I've found includes bacon. However when I was in Japan I ate Okonomiyaki alot and I don't remember ever tasting or eating one with bacon in it.

Does anyone know what kind of meat is typically put in a Osaka style okonomiaki in Japan? I know that every one has their favorite toppings and that lots are custom made for the customer, but is there a standard recipe that doesn't include bacon?

Of course I also might have been mistaken and there was bacon in my okonomiyakis but I really don't remember ever having bacon in it. There was some meat but I really don't remember what it was.

Thanks.

[Sashimister]

Pork! Thinly-sliced pork loin! Definitely not bacon!

Never trust recipes in English for Japanese dishes! They tend to try to please those who have never eaten the real stuff in Japan.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Reutte

Does anyone know what kind of meat is typically put in a Osaka style okonomiaki in Japan? I know that every one has their favorite toppings and that lots are custom made for the customer, but is there a standard recipe that doesn't include bacon?

The standard recipie for Okonomiyaki is pretty much just the flour-batter mix and cabbage. It's a 'whatever you want' fritter, so you can put anything you like on it; although pork's very popular, you could use squid, egg, mochi, vegetables, tofu, prawn, beef etc and not be deviating wildly from the norm. The main sensation really comes from the batter/cabbage fritter part. This is the recipie I use;

40g white flour (in japanese 'medium strength', i use plain or else i find it gets doughy) OR Okonomiyaki flour mix.
60cc dashi stock
1 teaspoon of yam powder per fritter (omit if using the pre-made flour mix)
1/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder per fritter (ditto)
1/4 teaspoon of salt per fritter (check the packet if using mix, sometimes already salted, but not always)
1/2 teaspoon of sugar per fritter (ditto)
About 120g of cabbage per fritter, cut into 1cm thick strips. I use what's marketed as 'spring cabbage' here or asian pointed cabbage.
about 40g of 'topping' (meat or fish or veg or whatever it is you 'okonomi')
2 teaspoons red pickled ginger per fritter
same of tenkasu if you've got it. (the little bits of fried tempura batter that are like panko but not. they put them in tanuki ramen too, i think)
1 egg.

Then I just mix it all together well, adding the dashi little by little (except strips of meat, which go on the top) and cook it on a griddle. Apparantly if you make it in advance and use cold dashi, it's better but i've not tried this myself.

I'll add as well that i've used belly pork (very well trimmed of the fat!) instead of loin (which is really expensive around here), and that's done ok.

[Reutte]

Thank you! I want to cook some for my family so I figured I start out with the more "typical" okonomiyaki before I start experimenting with alternate ingredients.

That recipe looks good. I'll have to try it since my other recipe turned into a disaster.

[MMM]

Gotta have the tenkasu and yamaimo.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by MMM

Gotta have the tenkasu and yamaimo.

~Definitely~ got to have the yamaimo. I've tried it without and it's just... wrong wrong wrong.

[Atredies]

yummy. had okonomiyaki often when i was in tokyo.

[Koldkraysie]

Originally Posted by Atredies

yummy. had okonomiyaki often when i was in tokyo.

I had it in Nagasaki....
Soooo one of my fav Japanese Dishes.
Seafood is very good with Pickled Ginger on the side.

[willgoestocollege]

I heard Hiroshima does the best Okonomiyaki.

[Sashimister]

Originally Posted by Koldkraysie

I had it in Nagasaki....
Soooo one of my fav Japanese Dishes.
Seafood is very good with Pickled Ginger on the side.

Pickled ginger on the side? Never seen that even though I've been eating okonomiyaki for several decades right here in Japan.