Okonomiyaki Osaka Hiroshima Pancake

Japan (Osaka and Hiroshima regional variant; post-war food stall origins)

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, 'cook what you like') is a thick savoury pancake of dashi-enriched batter with cabbage and various toppings griddled on a teppan (iron griddle). Two major regional styles define the dish. Osaka-style (Kansai) mixes all ingredients — batter, shredded cabbage, eggs, and toppings such as pork belly, squid, shrimp, or mochi — together before cooking as a single unified pancake. Hiroshima-style (Hiroshima-yaki) layers ingredients: a thin crêpe of batter, a mountain of raw shredded cabbage, pork belly, and bean sprouts piled on top then compressed; a yakisoba noodle layer is added mid-cook; the whole tower is flipped as a compressed cake and finished with a fried egg. The batter traditionally uses nagaimo (mountain yam) for its viscous binding and lightening properties — grated nagaimo produces extraordinary fluffiness. Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and aonori (dried seaweed flakes) are standard toppings alongside okonomi sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise. Hiroshima-yaki is considered more difficult and has attracted intense local pride. Many restaurants serve okonomiyaki at table-top griddles where diners cook their own.

Savoury eggy batter, sweet cabbage, umami from dashi and katsuobushi, sweet-savoury okonomi sauce, rich mayo