The Japanese street food made from batter filled with octopus is takoyaki.
Takoyaki consists of round balls cooked in a special cast-iron pan with hemispherical molds. The wheat-flour batter is typically filled with diced or minced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion. Vendors turn the soft batter with picks as it cooks, creating a browned outside and a tender, often molten center.
The snack was popularized in Osaka in 1935 by street vendor Tomekichi Endo. Its development was influenced by earlier Japanese snacks and by akashiyaki, an Akashi specialty made with an egg-rich batter and octopus. Takoyaki later spread from the Kansai region throughout Japan and became closely associated with festivals, yatai stalls, specialty shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores.
Finished takoyaki is commonly brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, then topped with green laver and dried bonito flakes. These toppings can move or “dance” from the heat, a memorable part of the eating experience.
Takoyaki is sometimes called “octopus balls,” but it should not be confused with taiyaki, a fish-shaped pastry, dorayaki, a filled pancake sandwich, or okonomiyaki, a savory griddle pancake.