This delicious treat swam in just in time to say goodbye to fall.
Taiyaki is one of the most satisfying desserts in Japan, especially as the season turns colder. Composed of the kanji for tai (“sea bream”) and yaki (“to bake”), this “baked sea bream” is made out of batter and filled with red bean paste, custard or even chocolate. And since it’s called taiyaki, the shape is always the same sea bream fish shape, no matter where you go.
This fall though, another fish has been pressed into service for the delightful dessert. What it may lack in size, you can surely make up for in sheer numbers.
Coming from Kesennuma, Miyagi, these thinner versions of the popular baked good are probably the right size to pop into your mouth and munch on them absentmindedly. The design is based on the sanma, which is the Pacific saury or mackerel pike in the West.
While this fish is often exported to other countries, like the UK, to be used as bait for larger fish in the sea, the sanma is a popular fish in Japanese cuisine during the autumn. You are most likely to find it grilled whole and served with grated daikon, however, thanks to this “sanmayaki” mold, you can dress your next sanma up with custard or delicious chocolate along with a little extra crunch thanks to some walnuts.
For anyone who is close to Kesennuma, be sure to help out the local entrepreneurs and head to the Sanma Mia cafe where they specialize in this tasty treat.
No word on whether the Pacific saury can make inroads on the stranglehold that the sea bream has on the baked dessert market, but you can keep it tuned to RocketNews24 for all the latest on this David vs. Goliath battle.
Cafe information
Sanma Mia
Address: Miyagi-ken, Kesennuma-shi, Hongo 8-2
宮城県気仙沼市本郷8-2
Open 11:00-6:00 (Tue-Sat), 10:00-5:00 (Sun)
Closed Mondays, every third Thursday
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Source: togetter
Featured image: Twitter/@chatradeca