pancakes

Taiyaki – a kind of filled pancake–are one of my favorite traditional Japanese treats. The fish-shaped cakes are easy to find–there’s a taiyaki vendor on the approach to many of Japan’s Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and every festival has a taiyaki stand. Traditionally filled with sweetened adzuki bean paste or custard cream, I’ve also seen them filled with ice cream, chocolate custard, coconut cream, and jellies. One thing they don’t contain is fish. During my first trip to Japan I saw them, but didn’t try them because I wasn’t sure whether or not they were safe for a person with fish allergies