Dorayaki: A Traditional Japanese Dessert

Dorayaki (どら焼き) is a traditional Wagashi (Japanese sweet) that is prominent in the land of the rising sun. By far the most popular Wagashi types, Dorayaki is a delicious snack consisting of a sweet filling sandwiched between  two fluffy pancakes. It is one of the numerous Japanese delicacies that is finger-licking good. What is great about this is its delicious, yet on overly sugar. The combination of the Honey pancake and the Red Bean paste is a mouth-watering treat that no one can refuse. 

Dorayaki is a combination of soft honey pancakes with delicious azuki bean paste as a filling. However the Dorayaki pancakes are a little different from the usual ones. The batter of Dorayaki is made from Honey and sometimes Mirin, giving it that castella cake sponginess. 

This snack is also known as Mikasa(in the Kyoto dialect), and it is particularly popular amongst the old and young in Japan. Another cool thing is that texture of Dorayaki with fresh cream filling feels like ice-cream. 

I bet you are probably wondering about the proper temperature to eat Dorayaki. You are in luck because this snack can be enjoyed hot in all seasons and can be taken when it's cold too!

It is delicious and can either be eaten as a picnic snack or taken to work or school as lunch. You can enjoy Dorayaki with a Matcha latte or a Japanese green tea for a relaxing breakfast or a lunch. 

WHEN WAS DORAYAKI INVENTED? 

Dorayaki has its origins in Japan, and it dates back to the early 1900s and many people believe that its shape was invented by a gong(which means "Dora" in Japanese). The long of the snack simply shows how sumptuous this traditional sweet is. It was reported first made as a sandwich by a Tokyo-based confectionery called Usagiya. "Dora" means gong while "Yaki" means cooked on dry heat, which literally means "gong cooked on a dry heat". Based on the similarities between the snack and the gong shape, it has been said to be the reason the snack was named Dorayaki. 

Being a part of an overall Japanese wave of nostalgia for foods from the Show era [1926-1989], Dorayaki is once again becoming more and more popular, while most manga and anime fans may remember it as a favorite snack of the Blue Robot-Cat Doraemon, a manga series character from the 1970s.

Contrary to popular belief, it was not named after the anime character Doraemon, the names sound similar, but Doraemon really likes to eat Dorayaki.

HOW TO MAKE DORAYAKI-STEP BY STEP 

Making Dorayaki is not very difficult, but before that, lets talk about the ingredients needed to make Dorayaki. 

Dorayaki ingredients:

• All purpose flour 
• Baking Powder 
• mirin
• Sugar 
• Eggs 
• Honey
• Water
• Oil (for frying)
• Azuki Bean paste (Also known as Red Bean paste)
• Make a batter mix: Mix the dry ingredients by mixing flour and baking powder in a bowl. Next, put eggs, sugar, honey and mirin into bowl and whisk until its smooth. The color becomes pale and its slightly fluffy. Add the flour to the mixture and turn until it is smooth. Cover the bowl with a wrap sheet and leave it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 
• When it is out of the refrigerator, it should look smoother. Add a little water and then mix it until it is smooth. Do this repeatedly until it is has a runny texture similar to pancakes. 
•  Fry the batter: Heat your non-stick frying pan and add a little oil. Clean up the oil before adding the batter onto the frying pan. Cook one side for a couple minute's or until bubbles up. Flip over and cook the other side for another minute. Turn off the heat and place the Dorayaki on a plate to cool down. 
• Add the Azuki Bean Paste Filling: Spread the Azuki Bean paste on one side of the Dorayaki cake and place another Dorayaki cake on top of it to sandwich the Azuki Bean paste filling.

TYPES OF DORAYAKI FILLING:

You can switch up the ingredients for your fillings while making Dorayaki at home.

If you have a sweet tooth and know your favorite flavors, use them to make your Dorayaki just perfect. 

• Red Bean (Anko) Dorayaki: One of the most oldest fillings used for a lot of Japanese snacks is Anko. It is the exact definition of it isn't broken, don't fix it. This can be said to be the best filling for this taste honey snack. Anko is considered to be Japan's heaven because of its distinct taste. 
• Sakura: This one is filled with pickled cherry leaves and white Bean paste.
• Matcha Dorayaki: It can be made in 2 ways, you either use Matcha powder while making the Dorayaki pancake or you fill it with Green tea paste (Matcha) with Red Bean paste as the second layer. The distinct taste of the Matcha matches the sweetness that comes with fluffy pancakes. 
• Custard Cream Dorayaki: This the second best filling that the Japanese use for Dorayaki because it is delicious when it is used for filling. It is also used as snacks like croissants and cream puffs. 
• Oreo Dorayaki: If you love Oreo's then you can crush them and mix it with the cream and use it as the filling for the pancakes. 
• Chocolate Dorayaki: Chocolate is a filling because it goes well with almost everything. 
• Ice-cream Dorayaki: I meant it when I said you can use any filling, because Dorayaki can be taken cold, you can even sandwich and ice-cream flavor between the Dorayaki cakes.