The difference between Dorayaki, Imagawa-yaki and Taiyaki! It's pretty interesting when you dig deeper. Can we put an end to the almost identical debate?

The difference between Imagawa-yaki and Taiyaki is a simple one.

The difference between Imagawa-yaki and Taiyaki is simple.

It's often talked about, but I don't think many people can tell the difference between Imagawa-yaki and Taiyaki.

In addition, dorayaki can be considered a similar food.

Which came first?

To put the story into perspective, I looked up which one was born first.

This story makes sense to me.

Imagawa-yaki

If I had to choose which came first, it would be Imagawa-yaki, also known as Obanyaki.

Imagawa-yaki is simpler in shape and seems to be easier to make than Taiyaki.

There is a theory that Imagawa-yaki was named and sold by a store near the Imagawa Bridge in Kanda in the mid-Edo period.

There is also a theory that Imagawa-yaki was named after the battle of Okehazama.

As it became popular, it was advertised as "Imagawa-yaki that burns at once" after the battle of Okehazama!

It is also called "Ohan-yaki" because its large size resembles the large size of "Ohan Koban".

In the Kansai region, it is called "Kaiten-yaki" because it is baked by turning it around and around.

The reason why Imagawa-yaki didn't catch on was probably because many people didn't like the name Okehazama or the warlord Imagawa Yoshimoto.

Taiyaki

Taiyaki is said to have originated from Naniwa-ya Sohonten, which was founded in Tokyo in 1909.

At first, the company sold Imagawa-yaki, but due to poor sales

It is said that it became a big hit when they changed the shape to that of a sea bream.

The shape of a sea bream is very "festive," so it must have sold well as a lucky charm.

I guess Japanese people liked sea breams because they were served as wedding favors.

The shape has changed, but the ingredients used for the dough and the filling such as bean jam are the same.

Dorayaki

The history of Dorayaki seems to be surprisingly old.
There are two theories about the origin of the name "Dorayaki

One is that it resembles a gong, a percussion instrument.

The other theory has to do with Musashibo Benkei, who was active in the late Heian period.

When Yoshitsune Minamoto fled to Oshu, Benkei, who had been injured, was recuperating in a house in Musashino.

On his way out, he made the mistake of leaving his gong behind.

There is a story that it all started when he used that gong to bake some dough.

On the other hand, there is also a story that Benkei baked the dough with the gong as a thank you.

The original form of dorayaki was made in the Edo period (1603-1868), and at first the paper-thin dough was filled with bean paste.

The dough was then folded into a square and wrapped around the bean paste.

Hearing this much, it feels like a confectionery that developed from the [fu no yaki] popularized by Sen no Rikyu in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Around the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912), it took on the round shape it has today, and in the Taisho era (1912-1926), it took on the shape of a sponge cake dough with bean jam sandwiched in between.

If you think about it in this way, in the order of their completion

Imagawa-yaki
Taiyaki
Dorayaki
It seems that

It seems that the original form existed in the Edo period and was perfected after the Meiji period.

Ingredients for the dough

The ingredients for the dough are

Water
Light flour
sugar
Egg
You can add baking soda, honey, or condensed milk if you like.

The process of making Imagawa-yaki and Taiyaki is exactly the same.

The anko (sweet red bean paste) is made the same way, and the custard cream is also the same.

If you want to make it at home, you can use pancake mix.

Is there a difference in taste?

If there is a difference in taste, it's probably the texture.

Dorayaki is well-baked on both sides and fluffy.

Imagawa-yaki is hardened in a mold, so it has a firm texture.

Taiyaki can change the texture by the part of the body that contains bean jam and the thin tail dough that does not contain bean jam.

Summary

Dorayaki, Imagawa-yaki, and Taiyaki all have the same dough and bean jam, only the shape is different.

It's interesting because the texture changes with the baking method.

It's a selfish thought.

Dorayaki and Imagawa-yaki are both originally derived from sweets made by putting bean jam on a thin skin, folding it into a square and wrapping it.

In addition, the sweets wrapped with bean jam also seem to have been derived from "fu-no-yaki", which was popularized by Sen no Rikyu.

Fu-no-yaki is a type of okonomiyaki, a crepe-like food made by baking a dough made of flour dissolved in water and sake, and then wrapping miso paste in it.

It's quite interesting when you think about it like this.

See you later (^ω^)ノシ