Okonomiyaki is known as a kind of Japanese-style pancakes or pizza. As the name indicates (okonomi means favorites in Japanese), you can add your favorite ingredients in okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki usually includes chopped cabbage and various toppings like thinly sliced pork, red ginger, yakisoba noodles, tenkasu (tempura crumbs), corn, green onion, squid, shrimp, dried bonito flakes, bean sprouts, and more.
In some okonomiyaki restaurants, customers cook their own okonomiyaki on the iron table. Also, okonomiyaki can be fast food, and there are lots of venders selling okonomiyaki in Japan.
In Japan, there are two areas where okonomi-yaki is very popular: Osaka and Hiroshima. Okonomiyaki is cooked differently in the two regions. In Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, chopped cabbage is cooked on top of thinly spread batter. Also, yakisoba noodles are usually added in Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
In Osaka-style okonomiyaki, chopped cabbage is mixed with the batter and cooked together. It might be easier for beginners to cook Osaka-style okonomiyaki than to cook Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. But both okonomiyaki taste really good, so try to make both!
To eat okonomiyaki, cut it into bite-sized pieces and eat with okonomiyaki sauce or worcester sauce and mayonnaise.
Enjoy!
