Taiyaki pan

When walking across the food court or when visiting a matsuri (Japanese festival) you might encounter a fish you never heard of before, the taiyaki. The taiyaki is not actually a fish, it is a fish-shaped cake that is molded in the shape of a Japanese Red Seabream, which in Japanese is called the ‘tai’. Taiyaki is usually made of normal pancake batter, and can have different kinds of fillings. The filling you will find most regularly are red beans paste, chocolate, vanilla custard or sweet potato. However, more exotic taiyaki can be found, for example with meat, gyoza filling or okonomiyaki inside. If you want to make taiyaki from the comfort of your home, we recommend you get a taiyaki pan!

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignleft" width="880"] A taiyaki street vendor in Tokyo, Japan.[/caption]

How to use a taiyaki pan

To make taiyaki you need to bake the pancake mix in a taiyaki pan. A taiyaki pan has a mold in the shape of a fish, so you can get beautifully shaped cakes without much effort. A taiyaki pan actually uses a lot like a waffle iron with a different profile. The use is also very similar to a waffle iron, you put in the batter, close the iron, and turn it around from time to time. If you require elaborate instructions on how to use a taiyaki pan we recommend you watch some videos online.

Where to buy a taiyaki pan

If you happen to be in Japan you might find taiyaki pans at your regular kitchenware shops (As usual we recommend checking out the Daiso!). For those who do not have the chance to travel to Japan to buy a taikyaki pan we suggest you buy one online. Amazon for example offers a range of taiyaki pans, and is on of the places we recommend checking out first. On Amazon you can find a variety of pans, ranging from small taiyaki pans to large taiyaki pans. Some are simple and cheap while others are more expensive.

CookKing taiyaki pan - This teriyaki pan can be used on both electrical and gas stoves. It is made of cast aluminium, and it has a comfortable bakelite handle. It has 2 fish shapes, so you can use it to make two taiyakis at the same time. The taiyaki comes at about a 5" x 3" size, and the total taiyaki pan measures 6.5" x 6" x 1.5", width an 8" handle. It has great reviews, and you really cannot go wrong with this taiyaki maker. [ See more ...]

Kotobuki Taiyaki Pan - This very positive reviewed taiyaki pan can be used on regular stove tops. It has a very durable construction, and the surface is treated with a special anti-stick coating. This pan can be used to make 2 tai at the same time, for the double the fun. The dimensions of the pan are 13.8" x 5.5" x 1.5". [ See more ... ]

taiyaki Japanese fish-shaped cake maker - This beautifully designed pan is made of aluminium with an non-stick layer, and has a plastic handle of about 5.5". Both of the fish-shaped molds are about 5 x 3". The handle has an simple lock that can be used to keep both sides of the taiyaki pan pressed together. [ See more ... ] 

[caption id="attachment_153" align="alignleft" width="880"] A taiyaki shaped cookie for sale at the Daiso, in Japan.[/caption]