 | |
| Course | Snack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Region or state | Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Batter, sweet azuki bean paste |
Imagawayaki (今川焼き) is a wagashi[1][2] (Japanese dessert) often found at Japanese festivals as well as outside Japan, in countries such as Taiwan and South Korea. It is made of batter in a special pan (similar to a waffle iron but without the honeycomb pattern), and filled with sweet azuki bean paste, although it is becoming increasingly popular to use a wider variety of fillings such as vanilla custard, different fruit custards and preserves, curry, different meat and vegetable fillings, potato and mayonnaise.[3][4] Imagawayaki are similar to dorayaki, but the latter are two separate pancakes sandwiched around the filling after cooking, and are often served cold.
Imagawayaki were first sold near the Kanda's Imagawabashi Bridge during the An'ei era (1772–1781) of the Edo period (1603–1867). The name imagawayaki originates from this time.
Imagawayaki have been known by various names throughout different eras. Names also vary regionally, and some varieties sold only in certain stores have their own names.
Imagawayaki were introduced to Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan and are now a traditional snack in Taiwan. They are commonly called wheelcakes (Chinese: 車輪餅; pinyin: chēlún bǐng).[9][10] However, some of the older generation may directly use the Japanese term taiko manjū (太鼓饅頭).[11]
Imagawayaki are known as 오방떡 (obang tteok) or 홍두병 (紅豆餅/hongdu byeong) in South Korea.
Imagawayaki are known as tokiwado in Malaysia.
The Filipino counterpart, locally known as "Japanese cakes", are similar to imagawayaki but of a smaller serving size and are usually filled with cheese slices. This inexpensive snack is commonly found sold on special tricycle carts that have a built-in custom-made circular cooking mold. Other fillings are also available with sweet (strawberry, chocolate) and savory (ham and cheese) fillings.[12]
