What is the Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage and batter?

The Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage and batter is called okonomiyaki. Its batter commonly contains wheat flour, eggs, dashi or water, and shredded cabbage, with ingredients such as pork, seafood, green onions, mochi, or cheese added according to preference.

The name combines okonomi, meaning “what you like” or “how you like,” with yaki, meaning “grilled” or “cooked.” The mixture is typically cooked on a teppan, then topped with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori seaweed, bonito flakes, and pickled ginger.

There are two major regional styles. Osaka or Kansai okonomiyaki mixes the ingredients into the batter before cooking. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki layers batter, cabbage, meat, and often yakisoba noodles instead. Monjayaki is related but has a much runnier batter, while yakisoba is a stir-fried noodle dish. Takoyaki is also cooked in a batter, but it forms small balls filled with octopus rather than a large pancake.