Traditional Japanese sweets I'd like to recommend 1: taiyaki

Hi everyone!

Have you ever tried 鯛焼き（たいやき、taiyaki) , or a fish-shaped pancake with anko somewhere? Don't worry, it has no fish in it, and doesn't have fishy smell either.

The "skin" part is made of flour, baking soda, sugar and water, very close to regular waffle or pancake batter, and the filling is commonly anko, or sweet red bean paste.

I personally like anko, but I'm not sure if you like it. Many of my students from "Western world" say they don't find it tasty, while Asians generally love it.

If sweet bean paste does not stimulate your appetite, you can ask for different fillings if they have, such as custard cream, sweet potato cream and chocolate cream.

Taiyaki is perfect snack to nibble when you are a little hungry between meals. It is tasty, cheap -- usually priced at 100-150 yen, and you can easily find the taiyaki shops near railway stations,  in the supermarkets or department stores. 

You can take taiyaki home and warm it up using microwave and toaster-oven (use the microwave first to warm inside and then put in the taster-oven so that the surface becomes a little crispy), but eating the freshly made hot one on the spot is the best. 

By the way, do you know that taiyaki are modeled after sea breams? "Tai" of taiyaki is sea bream, and "yaki" is grilled or baked in Japanese; therefore, taiyaki literally means baked sea-breams.

Sea breams are special fish for Japanese and they have been traditionally served on the auspicious (medetai in Japanese) occasions such as weddings and new year's day, because the sound "tai" reminds us of "medetai". Yes, it is just a pan. I'm wondering if our ancestors found sea breams especially delicious, though it has been always expensive.   

I've never made taiyaki at home, but it is not difficult to make if you have the mold. (Fish shaped taiyaki pan are available on the internet.) My friend occasionally makes taiyaki, using pancake mix as the batter and canned anko, and is always satisfied with the results.

Don't think of making anko from scratch, as it is very time-consuming. In Japan anko is sold in can or plastic bags at any supermarkets and even at some convenience stores, but if you are living abroad and hardly find those thing, why don't you put Nutella or your favorite jam as alternative? My friend says it is pretty good! 

ここからは日本語で。

みなさん、こんにちは。

「鯛焼き」を食べたことがありますか？魚の形をした日本の伝統的なお菓子で、普通は中にあんこが入っています。でも、あんこだけではなく、カスタードやチョコレートクリームを入れる鯛焼き屋もありますよ。

鯛焼き　　たいやき
伝統的 な　　でんとうてきな　　traditional
形　　かたち　　shape
お菓子　おかし　　sweets
普通は　　commonly, normally

～の代（か）わりに 　instead of


一つ100円から150円で買えるし、鯛焼き屋はスーパーやデパートの中など、あちらこちらにあるし、ちょっとお腹が空いたときに食べるにはぴったりです。

あちらこちら　everywhere
お腹（なか）が空（す）く 　　to get hungry
ぴったり　　suitable

鯛は「めでたい」という言葉を連想させるので、日本では結婚式やお正月など、特別なときに食べられます。

鯛　たい　　sea breams
言葉　ことば　word
めでたい　　auspicious
連想する　　れんそうする　　associate something with...
結婚式　　けっこんしき　　wedding celemony
正月　　しょうがつ　　new year's day
特別　　とくべつ　　special

鯛焼きは、型があればうちでも簡単に作ることができます。私は作ったことがないけど、友だちは時々作ると言います。でもあんこは作るのが大変だから、缶詰のあんこを使ったほうがいいですよ。

型　かた　mold
簡単　かんたん　　easily
大変　たいへん　　hard, difficult
缶詰　かんづめの　　canned