Hiroshima okonomiyaki
広島風お好み焼き · Hiroshima, Japan
Layers of batter, cabbage, pork and noodles — after the atomic bomb, it was what kept Hiroshima fed.
Know before you go
- Don't call Hiroshima-yaki 'Osaka okonomiyaki'
- don't touch the hotplate (it's extremely hot)
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Issen yōshoku after the atomic bomb
In the Taishō era, a cheap snack called 'issen yōshoku' was popular in Kyoto and the Kansai region: a thin pancake sprinkled with spring onions and drizzled with Worcestershire sauce. After the atomic bomb of August 1945, this cheap snack became a way for surviving Hiroshima residents to fill their stomachs. Later people layered on cabbage, pork and fried noodles, developing it into today's Hiroshima okonomiyaki.
Source: Wikipedia: Okonomiyaki
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Okonomiyaki has two great schools, Kansai and Hiroshima: Kansai style mixes the ingredients into the batter, while Hiroshima style layers batter, cabbage, pork and noodles. Its forerunner was the Taishō-era 'issen yōshoku', a thin pancake topped with spring onion and Worcestershire sauce. After the atomic bomb in August 1945, this cheap snack became a way for Hiroshima's survivors to fill their stomachs, and it later developed into today's Hiroshima okonomiyaki.
Local customs
Sit at the hotplate and cut pieces straight off it with a small spatula, so it stays hot
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Don't call Hiroshima-yaki 'Osaka okonomiyaki'
- don't touch the hotplate (it's extremely hot)
Locals appreciate DO
Hiroshima people appreciate visitors who know Hiroshima-yaki from Osaka-style okonomiyaki.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Near Hiroshima Station and in the centre there are buildings such as Okonomi-mura that house many shops. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
Sources & verification notes
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