The sixth season of "The Lonely Gourmet", which can be called "Japan on the Tip of the Tongue", returned under the spotlight not long ago. In the first episode, Goro came to Osaka, a city with strong Kansai style. Here comes the point, what did he eat?

Although there was a lot he wanted to eat, after finishing his work, Goro walked into an Okonomiyaki shop. After all, "Okonomiyaki" is not just a tourist delicacy. In the hearts of Osaka locals, it ranks among the top three Kansai delicacies.

Before this, in episode 9 of the first season, Goro went to Shimokitazawa, Setagaya District, Tokyo, and had Hiroshima yaki.

Then the question is, what is the difference between Okonomiyaki and Hiroshima yaki? There are also the monjayaki and okonomiyaki that often appear. What the hell are they?

First understand the relationship.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is also called "Okoyaki" or "Yaki". The most common method of making it is to add a large amount of vegetables and shellfish to the slurry on the iron plate. With meat and other ingredients, or according to your own "yuhao" (preference), add some dried shrimps, green onions, etc., fry and sprinkle with seasonings.

Hiroshima yaki

Hiroshima yaki is more layered than Okonomiyaki, because the production method is to stack the ingredients in sequence, including shredded cabbage, meat, fried noodles and poached eggs. , and with the addition of Qinghai Tai, bonito flakes and green onions, and because of the extra fried noodles, the portion is larger and the taste is richer.

Monja Yaki

Compared to the first two Teppanyaki, which are prefixed by region, the origin of Monja Yaki is quite obscure. Monja Yaki originates from Tokyo. Its production process is different from the previous two. Vegetables, meat and other ingredients are stir-fried and then formed into a circle. The batter diluted with dashi is poured into the middle part. The batter is evenly heated, stirred and fried into crispy rice. , and finally sprinkle with green seaweed to finish.

Now that "The Lonely Gourmet" has aired, whether eating Okonomiyaki or Hiroshima yaki, veteran foodie Goro is very knowledgeable and can explain the difference between okonomiyaki and Hiroshima yaki in a few words.

Japanese Teppanyaki is the highest level of dining in Japanese cuisine. It is different from Chinese barbecue and Korean barbecue. Eating Japanese Teppanyaki is a symbol of wealth and status. Teppanyaki grills and matures ingredients directly on a hot iron plate. These ingredients cannot be marinated and processed in advance. Instead, they are quickly cooked and matured on a high-heat iron plate to retain their own nutrition and taste. Since the ingredients cannot be marinated and processed in advance, the requirements for raw materials are very high, and the best materials will be used, such as sirloin beef, filet mignon, beef ribs, foie gras, fresh seafood, including lobster, silver Cod, scallops, abalone and more.

There are several theories about the origin of Teppanyaki.

First, from the 15th to the 16th century, Spain’s shipping capabilities were very developed. The crews were with the sea all day long. Life at sea was very boring, so they had no choice but to fish for fun and then grill the fish on the iron plate. Grilled until the skin is fragrant and the meat is cooked, it was later spread to the Americas from Spain and then to Japan in the 20th century. Japan improved it and became the famous Japanese Teppanyaki, which became popular all over the world.

The second statement is not much different from the first statement. It was invented by the Spanish in the 15th and 16th centuries, and later spread by the Spanish to Mexico and California in the American continent. It was not until the early 20th century that a Japanese American cooked this type of iron plate. Food cooking techniques were brought back to Japan and improved.

Thirdly, after World War II, when the US military was stationed in Japan, they were not used to eating raw and cold sashimi (raw food), but the troops did not have pots, so they thought of using it on iron plates. Flip the sashimi from side to side with a spatula and add cheese and cream. Then some American soldiers returned to the United States and brought this quick-cooking method of thin sashimi back to their own restaurants, which is what we call Teppanyaki today.

As a national food with a long history, Okonomiyaki is not only a favorite of Goro, it also often appears in Japanese movies and TV dramas.

In "The Man Who Cannot Marry", Mr. Shinsuke Kuwano, the architect played by Hiroshi Abe, offended the neighbor of the house owner because of his remarks during construction. Everyone asked him to apologize, otherwise the relationship between the owner and the neighbors would be quite awkward in the future. So Uncle Kuan invited the doctor to eat Okonomiyaki at his neighbor’s Okonomiyaki restaurant.

Rei Yoshida in "The Proposal Battle" likes to chop fish plates and put them in okonomiyaki, while Ken Iwase likes to put natto.

And Conan is a fan of Okonomiyaki.

It seems that Okonomiyaki is truly a Japanese national food.