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In Yamagata City, there's a snack that's incredibly popular with both children and adults. It's called"Dondon-yaki." It's very filling and inexpensive! It's a quintessential example of a flour-based snack that appeals to everyone.
There are almost always stalls at festivals, and you can often see children lining up with their pocket money in hand, buying things
the soul food of Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture"Dondon-yaki,"Let's take a look at
Your stomach may growl by the time you finish reading this, but please read on to the end
What exactly is Dondonyaki? And it's cheap!
As you can probably get a sense of from the image, theto describe Dondon-yaki is that it's like a thin okonomiyaki rolled up on chopsticksmost straightforward way
Unlike regular okonomiyaki, which is made by dissolving flour in water or dashi stock and cooking the ingredients together, this okonomiyaki is made by loosely dissolving flour in dashi stock, spreading it thinly on a hot plate, and topping it with thinly sliced sausage, pickled ginger, green laver, roasted laver, and bonito flakes powder, before flipping it over once cooked through
Once cooked, use chopsticks to roll it up into a roll and it's done!
Worcestershire sauce is the best seasoning. It depends on your taste, but it seems that various seasonings are being developed
You might wonder, "Can it be delicious without fillings like cabbage?" Butbecause there are no fillings that you can really taste the dough.The chewy texture of the dough and the sauce go perfectly together, making it irresistibly delicious!And it's also great value for money—that's Yamagata Dondon-yaki.
What was the background behind the creation of Dondon Yaki?
Yamagata's dondonyaki seems to have been around since before the war, and it is said that dondonyaki was born when people would grill it thinly and roll it up onto chopsticks so that it was easy to carry and eat in between farm work or when they were out and about
had trained as a chef in Tokyothe first street vendor selling Dondon-yaki was a man named Kameki Oba, whoIt is said thatwas named Dondon-yaki because he walked around beating a drum to attract customersand one theory suggests that it
Another theory is that the practice of serving it rolled up was introduced from Sendai. In Yamagata, it was improved so that it could be eaten while walking using disposable chopsticks, and this practice continues to this day
In any case,Dondon-yaki, which has become established in Yamagata, continues to be loved as a soul food of the people of the prefecture!
Recent Dondon Yaki Variety Versions
Yamagata Dondon Yaki Snack Shop
In Yamagata City,"Oyatsuya-san". It's great to know there's a place where you can buy it whenever you want, not just at festivals and other events!
Dondon Yaki from a snack shop
Of course, you can take it home, but there is also space to eat inside the store, and you will often see people lining up during the day on weekends
Furthermore, from 5pm onwards it becomes an izakaya, popular among adults as a place known as "senbero" (meaning you can get drunk for 1,000 yen). You can eat dondon-yaki at night and also enjoy local sake, so it's a place that kills two birds with one stone
There are also other stores that are trying out various variations of dondonyaki. It would be great to try all the different types! The photo below shows Dondonyaki Cafe Kashiwaya, a mobile food truck that has branches all over Yamagata Prefecture
The image below should give you a good idea of the process. There are surprisingly few fillings, but the chewydough is the star of the show, so it's really delicious!
You can check out Kashiwaya's store information on the Instagram above
It's cute even before it's rolled up!
Is soul food eternal? Come and enjoy grilled food!
"Dondonyaki" is a dish that everyone knows, from grandparents to grandparents! It is a popular food in Yamagata
From cherry blossom viewing to snow festivals, Dondon-yaki is a popular dish that's an essential part of any festival.'s additive-free, safe, delicious, and inexpensive—it ticks all four boxes!Loved by everyone from the elderly to young children, it has been enjoyed continuously from the early Showa era to the present day.
Recently, the finishing seasoning has also been improved, and the variety has expanded to include snacks and drinking accompaniments, attracting more and more attention
What did you think? I'm sure it made you want to try Dondon Yaki. It's delicious no matter what season it is, so please come and try it!
I'm originally from Tokyo, but I've lived in Yamagata Prefecture for over 30 years now. I've become completely accustomed to the local dialect and feel like a local myself. I occasionally
visit neighboring Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures two or three days a month, supposedly to gather material for my blog.
I belong to the middle-aged group that absolutely loves cats, local sake, and local snacks. (My icon is my beloved cat.)
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