Like any other developed culture, Japan has its share of distinctive, traditional street foods. And the place to find them is a yatai, or food stall. Don’t worry about finding one of those. They’re all over the place – even gathering in hordes at multi-acre-sized fast food markets…
Classic Yakitori: A Japanese street food staple.
It’s an aspect of Japanese culture we don’t often see. Some of us, like me, never even knew Japan had a significant street food tradition until we went looking for it. But once within your sphere of culinary awareness, you’ll never lose sight of it!
Though some of the most favoured Japanese street foods have been adopted (albeit heavily adapted) from other cultures, the vast majority are distinctly Japanese. And though you’ll no doubt recognise their names, you may be surprised to find they come from the street food tradition.
One charming feature of yatai culture: foods are often rotated onto and off of the menu according to the seasons. And this has as much to do with tradition as it does with what ingredients are in season.
On our menu today
Takoyaki: Savoury Dough Balls. Think of them as Japanese Falafel. The wheat flour-based dough is studded with small-diced octopus, tempura, green onions, and pickled ginger (see photo, top of page). They’re shaped into balls by cooking them in special cast iron mould pans. Served drizzled with Japanese Mayonnaise (similar to Worcestershire Sauce), and sprinkled with dried fish and seaweed flakes. These are little known outside of Japan, but top a majority of the internet lists of fave Japanese street foods.
Sobayaki: Wok-fried Soba Noodles with bits and pieces of chopped meat and veggies – usually cabbage, onions, bean sprouts and carrots. Note that true Soba Noodles are made from Buckwheat. In Japan, ‘Soba’ means ‘Chinese noodles’, made from wheat flour.
And you usually get lots of food for your cash investment. A meal in itself! Everybody loves it. A great dish to practice using chopsticks on.
Yakitori: Stuff on a stick. Always meat, usually chicken, but sometimes beef or pork, often interspersed with pieces of green onion and/or other veggies, marinated and grilled over charcoal. Eat ’em right off the stick. This one of those dishes you probably already knew about, but didn’t know it was a street food staple. Another top-ranked favourite.
Ikayaki: Whole Small Squid, less the tentacles, charcoal grilled on a stick. Doused in sweet soy sauce and and served with a lemon or lime wedge.
Even the tenderest squid is a chew-fest; bubble gum fans in particular will enjoy this!
Shioyaki: Small salt-fried fish on a stick. Usually little Mackerel marinated overnight and flame grilled. Considered a classic accompaniment to an ice cold beer. Street food and finger food in one.
Yaki Tomorokoshi: Grilled Corn on the Cob. Another one that you’ll have encountered in other street food cultures. But with a characteristic Japanese twist. It’s always slathered with a glaze of miso, soy and butter. This is a prime example of a street food that comes and goes by season. It’s everywhere in summer, when the corn comes in.
Taiyaki: A fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste, custard or chocolate ganache.
Also appearing as Imagawayaki, when baked in circular moulds.
Yaka Imo: Baked Sweet Potato. Sounds simple and it is. It’s essentially a special Satsuma-imo sweet potato baked until fall-apart flaky, until it develops a unique, light ly sweet caramelized flavour. Just crack off the crispy skin and eat it straight out of its paper bag.
And that’s just the beginning…
…. Of the Japanese street food story. Google yourself crazy and discover the dozens of other street food classics from what early western explorers called the Mysterious Islands, and be sure to try making those you find mos alluring yourself. Remember: there’s never anything difficult, expensive or complex about street foods!
~ Maggie J.