[Anime Culture Monday] Anime Recipe: Takowasabi from Takunomi

8:00 AM March 5, 2018

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Anime Recipes from Honey’s Anime. If this is your first time with us on a Monday, we explore the delicious food that is shown in anime week by week and break down how to make it easily! Thankfully, we have yet another unique, yet delicious selection. This one is definitely made for the 21+ crowd, but you don’t have to be of drinking age to enjoy it! That’s right, this week we are featuring “otsumami” or snacks that go well with drinks. In this particular installment, we are going with something that is best paired with beer or nihonshu aka sake. Let’s go!

Takowasabi from Takunomi

Michiru is a friendly yet shy, country girl. She just changed jobs and with that means that she can now realize her dream of moving to glorious Tokyo! Or so she thinks…. Tokyo is hustling and bustling, and people are nowhere near as kind as she is. Afraid of living alone, she decides to live in a share house with three other people. What do these women all have in common? They all love to drink! Cute and fun, each week, Takunomi dives into a different form of alcohol and loves to explore what the options are as for methods of drinking said alcohol as well as pairing with foods. This week we have Takowasabi, or as they call it, but what is Takowasabi? The wasabi part makes sense, but what the heck is tako?

Tako is a beloved food in Japan. It means octopus in Japanese. Now while most people run for the hills at the thought of eating it, it’s actually very versatile and delicious. Octopus is in so many different dishes in Japan including one of the most famous dishes in Japan, Takoyaki. Now while takoyaki is another beloved snack, festival food, and set “otsumami,” this week focuses on octopus of a different variety; namely paired with wasabi in a sauce.

It’s not news that Japan eats seafood. In fact, a lot of Asia, Europe, and South American countries do as well. Sushi is a very common variation of it as well, as is another delicious thing called Akashiyaki. The sea creature is very high in protein as well as is balanced when it comes to calories. It is a bit high in cholesterol though, so overdoing it or binging on it is not recommended. Today, Takowasabi is so easy to make, you just mix, chill and go. Or you can chill everything and then dig in, but be prepared to start hours beforehand. Let’s see what today’s delectable dish is!

What You Will Need:

octopus.(No, not the whole thing, but rather a couple of arms should be more than enough. If you really like it, then go for it, but starting out with a smaller amount is wise.)

Shiro dashi. (Can be found at Asian Supermarkets and Amazon)

3 tbsp

Mirin (sweet rice wine)

2.5 tbsp

cooking wine/sake (optional)

½ tbsp

A small amount of salt.

Soy sauce

½ tbsp

Wasabi(As much as you would like, but it is best to start out with a negligible amount and then go from there adding slowly. Wasabi is like horseradish, you can add it in, but you cannot take it out.)

Optional Notes:

The proper and traditional way to make this is raw. So if you do partake in raw foods, be sure to make sure that the octopus meat you are buying is safe for raw consumption. If the thought of raw fish is just too much to overcome, you can cook it, but be sure to do so thoroughly. However, note that you will lose flavor and texture by doing so! Another popular variation of this dish is to skip all of the ingredients and mix it with a small amount of oil, pesto, and basil sauce to make an Italian style.

How to Cook It:

1
If you are boiling the octopus, then cook it all the way through, chill it fully, and THEN you can slice it up. Ice baths are great for cooling things down quickly.
2
If you are eating it raw, lay out the octopus on a plate and sprinkle salt over it. Then, wash it gently with some water until it is all clean.
3
Next, simply cut the octopus into small pieces about the size of your thumbnail. No need to be massive, these should just be small bites.
4
Mix together all of your ingredients and then you are good to go! If it is not super cold, then feel free to chill it for a few hours and then come back. It also goes well with cheese and crackers if you partake.

(Note: If you are eating it raw, which is perfectly safe and healthy, be 100% sure to use safe for raw consumption octopus. Otherwise, you could get sick and we would not want that! )

Yum!

Final Thought

The funny thing that we forgot to mention about Takowasabi is that the dish is very commonly found everywhere that alcohol is served. Some places will market it as a “men’s appetizer,” but everyone loves it. All you need is a little bit of an open mind and a willingness to try something new. Who knows, you may find something new you love! In the meantime, try pairing this with a lighter beer just like they do in Takunomi! In the meantime, we will too, Enjoy!

Editor/Translator

Author: Nagareboshi

American by birth; international by choice. I am trying to bring attention to one of my favorite causes; me. I translate by day and write by night. Aspiring polyglot. My dream would be to be the personal translator for Amuro Namie. Other than that, my hobbies include languages, weightlifting, sleeping, karaoke, GOOD coffee and music. When I’m not doing any of the above, I am most likely laughing hysterically at Willam Belli videos or EV farming. I ain’t gunna Rupologize for it neither. Waifu are Shirai Kuroko & Euaerin.

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