The Japanese octopus-filled, ball-shaped snack from Osaka is called takoyaki. It is made by pouring wheat-flour batter into a special molded pan, adding minced or diced octopus, and turning the pieces as they cook into crisp-sided spheres with soft centers.
Traditional fillings and mix-ins can include tenkasu tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion. Finished takoyaki is commonly brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, then topped with aonori seaweed and dancing flakes of dried bonito. Because the centers retain heat, freshly cooked pieces are often surprisingly hot.
Street vendors and specialty shops made takoyaki famous throughout Osaka and the wider Kansai region. The snack is closely associated with yatai food stalls and is now sold across Japan, including at supermarkets and convenience stores. Takoyaki was popularized in Osaka in 1935 by vendor Tomekichi Endo, who combined ideas from earlier Osaka snacks with Akashi-yaki, an octopus-filled dish from nearby Hyōgo. Okonomiyaki is a related batter dish, but it is a pancake rather than a ball.