Above we see Sasame from Pretear carrying a box of takoyaki, probably going to give it to Himeno or Mannen, but unfortunately it is knocked over when Mayune and him suddenly bump into each other, which she originally was going to get furious over until she notices what an attractive guy Sasame is and doesn't even care afterwards, instead decides to seduce him XD.
Although takoyaki can easily be made at home if the equipment is available, it's usually considered to be a fast food and is mostly sold on the streets of Japan.
In The Mythical Detective Loki, Narugami works part time at a takoyaki stand and entertains the crowd while cooking takoyaki, doing his "secret techinique," called the Galactix shower, which is really quite funny XD. I love how they always seem to have a cute octopus logo to go with their signs and packages. ^_^
Usually tn the Kansai region of Japan, takoyaki is eaten as a side dish with a bowl of cooked rice, but elsewhere, it is eaten without rice as a snack food.
So far I have seen them shown in Card Captor Sakura when Yukito offers some to Syaoran and in Saiyuki when Goku is gobbling them down. ^_^
Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken. It's made from several pieces of meat from various parts of a chicken that include the entrails and organs. They are then skewered on a bamboo skewer and then barbecued over charcoal and sometimes brushed with yakitori sauce. Sometimes they can also be grilled with pieces of vegetables like scallion, peppers, onions or leeks, similar to a kabob.
So far, I have noticed yakitori has been featured in the anime Someday's Dreamers, where Yume Kikuchi goes to a yakitori restaurant with some aquiantances. This is also a very popular food in Japan, because many workers often grab a yakitori and a beer from yakitori stalls on the way home from work.
One of the most popular dishes in Japan. Commonly they are served with rice, udon (thick noodles), and pan (bread). Japanese curry is usually thicker, sweeter and milder than Indian curry. It also usually contains a wide variety of vegetables and meats such as onions, carrots, and potatoes. Sometimes grated apples or honey are even added for additional sweetness. For the meat, pork, beef and chicken are the most popular. The image above shows the curry that Himeno's father ordered for lunch, saying that it's a South Pole curry rice from the Bronze coffee house. The image after is of Chiaki from Tenjou Tenge eating her homemade curry rice. It's also been featured in Shuffle when Asa haves some at the school cafeteria for lunch.
History: Curry is actually categorized as a Western dish instead of an Asian dish in Japan, because it was introduced during the Meiji era (1869-1913), when India was under the administration of the British East India Company.
The ever so popular noodle dish that immediately makes me think of Naruto, because he is obsessed with going to ramen shops and just about can't eat anything but ramen. ^_^ Inuyasha is also seen eating instant cup ramen, which is also a fast and easy alternative to freshly made ramen. ^_^
This Japanese dish of noodles originates from China and is served in broth with toppings such as sliced pork, egg, seaweed and green onions. It also differs from native Japanese noodle soup dishes, because the broth is based on meat such as chicken, as well as the different type of noodles and toppings used. Due to popularity, there are many ramen shops that exist in Japan and also many varieties of instant cup noodle ramen sold in many countries, which has made this an even more popular and often consumed fast food.
Not exactly a food, but it's also quite popular in Japan and is featured in several anime shows as well. Sake is a Japanese rice wine, which is an alchoholic beverage made from fermented rice. The content of alcohol in sake is about 10-15% and can also be drunken hot or cold. So far, I've seen it featured in Rurouni Kenshin many times and seems to be often consumed during celebrations as well.
In Japan, it's a custom, when drinking alcholic beverages, to serve others instead of pouring the drink in your own cup. This is also why Kaoru and Megumi are fighting over who gets to serve Kenshin the sake ^_^. You're also supposed to check your friend's cup occassionally and pour them more if it's getting empty, and they'll also do the same for you. If someone wants to serve you, you should hold your cup towards them and empty your cup quickly if you want to be served more.
Although it's not recommended that you drink too much, cuz you may end up like Kaoru as shown above, who seems to be quite ditsy when drunk or like Yahiko who was instantly knocked out after having a glass XD. Be careful when people offer to have a drinking contest with you, because it might be too much alcohol to handle. Yes, that means Sanosuke especially. ^_^
In some cultures, okayu is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper, while in others, it's eaten as a substitute for rice in other meals. Okayu is made in a pot or in a rice cooker, since some rice cookers even have a "congee" setting, allowing you to cook congee for breakfast overnight. In Japan, okayu is popularly known as a food served to the ill, just like the similarity for chicken noodle soup in America. This proves to be true, since in Fruits Basket in episode 19, when Tohru gets sick, Kyo cooks "leek soup" for her, which is actually okayu with leeks.
This was also shown in Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, where Ashitaka and Jigo were eating the rice they bought from a village in the small pot. You can tell by the texture it has, and that Jigo easily eats it almost like a porridge or soup, depending on how or how long it's cooked. Because it's soft and easily digestible, okayu is also the first solid food served to infants in Japan and is commonly eaten by the elderly for the same reason.
A Japanese candy originally made in Portugal. The word 'Kompeito' comes from the Portuguese word 'confeito,' which means sugar candy. A kompeito is usually 5 to 10 millimeters in diameter. They are covered with tiny bumps, resembling little star points, which occurs in the cooking process. It usually takes 7-10 days to make Kompeito and they are still handmade even today. These candies are made by showering sugar water in a giant spinning tub called 'dora.' This forming process is a topic in molecular engineering, since these bumps wouldn't form if the tub were spun faster.
These candies were featured in several anime shows such as in Miyazaki's Spirited Away where the Soot-Balls were fed kompeito by Lin during their meal in the boiler room. It was also featured in the Sailor Moon S movie: Hearts in Ice, where Luna was given these "Star flakes" by Kakeru, which were actually called kompeito in the original Japanese version.
It has also appeared in episode 32 of Bleach where, Renji gives Rukia a bag of kompeito, which she never heard of before. Unfortunately, Rukia was unable to eat or even taste it, due to what happened afterwards. ^_^;
A very yummy looking dessert that is popular throughout Europe, but also in some other parts of the world, such as Japan. The common ingredients for the outside wrapping include flour, eggs, milk, butter and a pinch of salt. The sweet version of crepes, which can be a dessert, can be filled with various things such as jam, melted chocolate, ice cream, bananas, berries, nuts, poppyseeds, cinnamon, etc. Popular sweet toppings include granulated or powdered sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, fruit spreads, sliced soft fruits, etc.
The crepes shown above are the ones Tohru, Hiro, and Risa got from the crepe vender at the park. They have also appeared in Pretear where Sasame bought one for Himeko, which she happily accepts. Sadly, the crepe ended up in an unfortunate accident XD. But it seems like the strawberry with whipped cream crepe is the most popular. ^_^
Purin ia a popular dessert in Japan, which is custard pudding that is known to have a thin brown layer on top, which is done by heating a bit of water and sugar until it turns brown. The pudding is made with milk, eggs, sugar, and a hint of vanilla. Often purin is sold in Japanese food stores and are very delicious and addictive to eat. ^_^
So far, I've seen these appear a lot in Card Captor Sakura, where Sakura would treat some to her friends or when she would bring some to Kero who can be seen eating these rather obsessively. ^_^
