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201502 26 40 d0264940 17575653
201502 26 40 d0264940 17575653
Lifestyle

14 Ways to Use This Great New Japanese Kitchen Appliance

Nako Kobayashi
This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Conn Coll chapter.

Making takoyaki, a traditional Japanese street food, at parties and with friends has become really trendy recently in Japan. The takoyaki maker (basically a hot plate with round indents in it) is perfect for parties and cooking for lots of people, especially in small apartment (and dorm) spaces. Throwing a “Tako-pa” (short for “Takoyaki Party”) is now super popular and people are finding awesome alternative ways to use the takoyaki maker to make the parties even more fun. A cookbook was even published last week in Japan exclusively on takoyaki maker recipes.

Spoon’s rounded up the most inspired takoyaki maker creations found in the Japanese realm of Instagram and Twitter to introduce to you the wonders of this machine. If we succeed in convincing you, don’t worry. It’s available on amazon for just $26 – a total steal if you split the cost with roommates.

takoyaki maker

Gif courtesy of giphy.com

Traditional Takoyaki

Tako (octopus) yaki (grilled) is a street food made popular in Osaka, Japan. Octopus is thrown into the indents filled with batter and a wide variety of ingredients depending on the variation. The ball is then flipped around and cooked to perfection, and topped with lots of mayo and a special, sweet sauce. The takoyaki maker makes it super easy and fun to make this at home with friends.

Shumai (Chinese Pork Dumpling)

 

Everyone loves a good, steamy Chinese dumpling in Japan, so someone figured out how to make it using a takoyaki maker. Steaming hot, simple, home-made dumplings? Yes, please.

Mini Crispy Pizzas

For when people at the party don’t all dumplings, Japanese people resourcefully use the same dumpling skins to make yummy mini party pizzas.

Anything “al ajillo”

#アヒージョ   A photo posted by PEANUTSBUTTERBAGEL:9 (@peanutsbutterbagel) on Aug 4, 2015 at 7:55am PDT

You can even make fancy tapas dishes easily with this thing. Someone figured out how to cook things “al ajillo” (with garlic, literally, but also involves lots of olive oil) super easily at home, and now “ajillo” has taken over takoyaki-parties across Japan. How fancy (and easy) does this look?

Cake Pops

Yes, you can make desert in a takoyaki maker too — aren’t these the cutest? You can melt chocolate in a heat-safe bowl right on top of the takoyaki maker, making this a treat that Tokyo-ites can easily make, even in a small apartment in the city.

Grilled Rice Ball (Yakionigiri)

A popular rendition of the traditional rice ball (onigiri) is the grilled version (yaki-onigiri) that’s usually coated thinly with soy sauce. All you need is some cooked rice balls, soy sauce, and oil and you have the quickest, yummiest Japanese snack thanks to this amazing appliance.

Hash Browns

Japanese people love American breakfast too, and figured out how to cook hash browns with this thing, too.

Omlette or Om-rice

Making Japanese/American fusion breakfast has been very popular too. In Japan, om-rice — rice cooked inside an omlette with ketchup — is a super popular dish, whether for breakfast or otherwise. Yup, you guessed it, you can make this easily with this appliance too.

Mini Burgers

 

 

Look at these adorable mini-burgers. The most adorable party snack ever. Just toast the “buns” (pretty much just pancake batter with some sesame seeds) and sandwich some fillers cut to a small size.

Roasted Marshmellows

Because you know, in most tiny Japanese apartments, fireplaces really aren’t a thing. You can put the marshmallows directly in the indents, or you can roast them above the takoyaki maker while you cook other food.

Cheese/Chocolate Fondue

People have also started using the heat of the takoyaki maker to melt cheese or chocolate for dipping deliciousness.

Corn Dogs

People call these “American Dogs” in Japan (lol). But how cute of a party snack would these be?

Baby Castella

 

Castella is a kind of sponge cake originated in the Castilla region of modern-day Spain, even though now it’s exclusively eaten popularly in Japan.

Sesame Balls

◯ ・ ・ #たこ焼き器 #ごま団子 #食後の #別腹 #床がゴマまみれ ・ ・ ぐんないっ?   A photo posted by arinco.ico (@arinco.ico) on Oct 29, 2015 at 5:03am PDT

This handy appliance even makes making sesame balls, a Chinese treat, super easy.

There are honestly endless uses of the takoyaki maker and definitely so many more left to be discovered. Most of the recipes available online are in Japanese, which means there is time left to experiment and go viral. If you decide to get one and come up with something good, be sure to take photos and tag us at #spoonfeed.

Nako is an anthropology major chilling and eating yummy food at Connecticut College. Originally from Japan, she is an adventurous eater that will try pretty much anything. Having worked on a farm and a vineyard for a short time, she has mad respect for farmers and agriculturalists, and hopes to make some local farmer's lives easier and build a better, more resilient local food system through her work with the New London County Food Hub Development Project.