FujisanTaiyaki 2.85

Taiyaki was created around 100 years ago in Japan and since its creation it’s remained generally unchanged until very recently. The origin of the fish shape is unknown, but the most common belief is that, because sea bream were very expensive at the time it was shaped in such a way as to make the eater feel as if they were eating luxuriously. Tai (鯛), the Japanese word for sea bream also is similar to the Japanese word medetai (めでたい), meaning happy or prosperous, so they’re often eaten to bring luck. While taiyaki’s history dates back at least 100 years, its first big boom in popularity didn’t hit until 1976, the same time that the children’s song Oyoge Taiyaki-kun (およげたいやきくん), which translates to Swim Tayaki-kun, became very popular among everyone from children to grandparents. The song actually still holds the record for the best selling song in Japan at 4.5 million. Taiyaki (鯛焼き , literally "baked sea bream"?) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside.

Taiyaki is made using regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden brown.