Aerosmith taiyaki Greatest Hits Japan

American band who fell in love with taiyaki after visiting Japan finally gets the release they’ve truly been waiting for.

Taiyaki is a traditional Japanese sweet that’s been a favourite of locals since it was first introduced to the masses back in 1909. Now, over a hundred years later, the humble fish-shaped baked sweet, made from a pancake-like batter, has become so well-known around the world that even famous stars like the members of rock band Aerosmith are big fans.

▼ Taiyaki

Lead singer of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, first fell in love with taiyaki during a visit to Japan, and ever since then the sweet treat is one of the first things he buys whenever his plane touches down in Tokyo. He reportedly loves the sweet so much he says he could eat 10 of them before performing on stage, and ex-lead guitarist Joe Perry was equally enamoured, once declaring “taiyaki is a perfect food!” on a Japanese radio program.

▼ Tyler wears his love for taiyaki on his head.

Tyler and Perry loved the sweet so much they once even had a falling out over it, when Tyler bought a load of taiyaki in Japan to take back to the U.S. with him, but someone, supposedly Perry, ate them all on the plane. The ensuing argument was reportedly so bad that some say it could’ve led to the group disbanding.

With this long and storied history of taiyaki behind the group, Tyler and his bandmates are no doubt chuffed with their latest achievement — a tie-up with esteemed taiyaki chain Naruto Taiyaki Honpo to release their very own taiyaki. It’s a collaboration that took everyone by surprise when it was announced today, but as it turns out, there’s a good reason for the tie-up, as it celebrates the Japanese debut of Greatest Hits, the band’s compilation album that marks 50 years of Aerosmith releases.

While traditional taiyaki are filled with a sweet red bean paste, the Aerosmith Greatest Hits taiyaki will be filled with apple paste, in honour of the album’s apple-red colour.

This filling is said to have a tart sweetness that combines with the crispy exterior to create “a luxurious taste like freshly baked apple pie”.

The taiyaki looks so tasty it’s as if the lyrics to Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing were created specifically for it.

“I could spend my life in this sweet surrender I could stay lost in this moment forever Where a moment spent with you is a moment I treasure.”

On sale at Naruto Taiyaki Honpo stores around Japan from 11 November, the taiyaki retails for 300 yen (US$1.99) and will be on the menu for a limited time.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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