Osaka is the third largest city in Japan, following Tokyo and Yokohama. Located in the Kansai region in the centre of the isle of Honshu, the city has a rich history and was once the imperial capital. Now, it is a bustling, vibrant metropolis that is a regional economic powerhouse. Its unique mix of ultramodern and ancient tradition makes it a favourite tourist destination for the Japanese and visitors from abroad.
Osaka is a foodie paradise, the restaurants in Osaka are well renowned as among the best in Japan and the world! The Osakans’ intense love of the culinary arts is exemplified by an old saying “Kyotoites are financially ruined by overspending on clothing, Osakans are ruined by spending too much on food.” When you consider the vast variety of delicacies on hand in Osaka, it’s easy to see why that may be true, one could eat a different meal every day of the week for a year!
Let’s take a look at just some of the scrumptious dishes Osaka is so famous for!
Takoyaki – This street snack is at the heart of Osaka’s soul food and pretty much everyone loves it! You can’t visit Osaka without eating takoyaki at least once, and chances are you will go back for more! The dish is a mixture of flour and dashi fish stock that’s poured into a special takoyaki pan. The mixture is then sprinkled with chopped octopus (tako), red pickled ginger, and green onion. It is then turned in the pan as it fries to form round balls. Takoyaki is served drizzled with a sweet soy-based sauce and topped with nori seaweed and bonito flakes, but most people also add mayonnaise!
Kushikatsu – This is an immensely popular snack the locals eat almost every day! Kushikatsu dates all the way back to the beginning of the Showa period and was invented by the proprietress of the Daruma restaurant in Shinsekai, Osaka. She prepared bite-sized chunks of beef, vegetables, and seafood on easy-to-eat skewers, then deep-fried them to make a treat for passing workers too busy to sit down for their meal. Following that tradition, many Kushikatsu restaurants still maintain a stand-up dining style and strictly enforce a ‘no double-dipping rule’ so customers can share the sauces! Thinly sliced raw cabbage is served along with the skewers to aid digestion, and is also useful for scooping up extra sauce to add to the skewers for more flavour!
Okonomiyaki – Every region of Japan has its own version of this dish! Osaka-style okonomiyaki is concocted from flour, grated yam, eggs, dashi stock, and shredded cabbage that is mixed into a batter and cooked to a slightly firm consistency. Okonomiyaki is sometimes made without flour with just yam and eggs. Negiyaki is made with lots of green onions with no binding agent so you can focus on the taste of the cabbage. Many types are loaded with generous helpings of seafood, like octopus and meats like thinly sliced pork. Whichever type you choose, it will be delicious, and you will probably end up trying them all!
So, if you go to Osaka, bring your appetite, and plenty of money, too!
