Takoyaki

Takoyaki — octopus balls — are a sphere of dashi-rich batter, baked in a cast-iron mould, packed with diced octopus, tenkasu (tempura scraps), red pickled ginger, and spring onion. The exterior is crisp; the interior is molten, almost liquid — the texture is unlike anything else in world cooking. They are made on the streets of Osaka in front of you and eaten burning hot.

Osaka, Japan. Invented by Tomekichi Endo in Namba, Osaka, in 1935. Takoyaki is one of the defining foods of Osaka street culture, and the city's pride in its food identity (kuidaore — eat until you drop) is symbolised by takoyaki.

Cold Kirin or Asahi lager from a can — this is Osaka street food. The setting is a plastic stool, a paper tray, and a very cold beer. No wine pairing is relevant.

{"The batter: dashi (strong katsuobushi and kombu), eggs, flour, soy, and a small amount of usukuchi (light soy) — very liquid, almost a thin crepe batter consistency","The takoyaki mould: a cast-iron plate with hemispherical cavities, preheated and brushed generously with vegetable oil or lard","Octopus: Madako (common octopus), tentacles cut into 1.5cm pieces after blanching in salted water with a konbu leaf for 20 minutes — the blanching tenderises the octopus","The turning technique: once the underside has set and is golden, insert two bamboo skewers or turning tools into each ball and rotate 90 degrees — the uncooked batter flows into the newly heated side. Rotate again to fully round the ball","Finish applications: okonomiyaki sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), aonori","Serve immediately: the molten interior sets within 3 minutes of leaving the heat"}