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Hiroshima-yaki (Layered Cabbage, Noodle and Egg Okonomiyaki)
Hiroshima-yaki (Layered Cabbage, Noodle and Egg Okonomiyaki) reads richness 4.3, umami 3.8 and salinity 3.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 26 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.7 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 3.0 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 2.1 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 4.5 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 2.3 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Richness 4.3 · Umami 3.8 · Salinity 3.6 · Marine & Briny 3.0 · Sweetness 2.6 · Smoke 2.4 · Sourness 2.1 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Funk & Ferment 1.9 · Allium 1.8 · Fruity 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.1 · Heat 0.8 · Bitterness 0.7 · Nutty 0.6 · Earthy 0.6
What's in it (15)
- all-purpose flour — 60 g
- ichiban dashi — 90 g
- white cabbage — 300 g
- bean sprouts — 60 g
- tenkasu — 14 g
- very thinly sliced pork belly — 100 g
- salt — 3 g
- ground white pepper — 1 g
- chinese noodles — 300 g
- oil — 27 g
- eggs — 100 g
- okonomi sauce — 44 g
- aonori — 5 g
- katsuobushi shavings — 5 g
- scallions — 20 g
Time & effort: about 26 min · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 187.6 kcal, 5.1 g protein, 9 g fat, 23 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (6 steps)
- Whisk the flour and cold dashi to a thin batter, the consistency of single cream, and let it stand 10 minutes. This is not the Osaka batter: an Osaka okonomiyaki is a thick pancake with the cabbage mixed into a nagaimo-loosened batter, beaten together and cooked as one. In Hiroshima the batter is a crepe, everything is stacked on top of it, and the two dishes are related only by name and sauce.
- Heat a large flat griddle or a heavy frying pan to medium and film it with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Ladle out half the batter and spread it into a thin 20 cm circle with the back of the ladle. Cook 1 minute, until set but pale.
- Pile half the shredded cabbage on the crepe in a tall mound, then the bean sprouts, then the tenkasu, then lay half the pork belly slices over the top and season with the salt and pepper mix. It will look absurdly high. Cover with a lid or a bowl and let it steam 4 minutes, until the mound has collapsed to a third of its height and the cabbage at the bottom is sweet and soft.
- Slide two spatulas underneath and flip the whole stack over in one committed movement, pork side down. Press once, gently, and cook 4 minutes more so the pork crisps against the griddle and the cabbage finishes steaming inside its own pancake.
- Meanwhile, on the free side of the griddle, fry half the yakisoba noodles in a little oil for 3 minutes, spreading them into a disc the same size as the pancake and pressing so the underside crisps. Slide the cabbage stack on top of the noodles.
- Crack an egg onto the griddle, break the yolk and spread it into a rough circle, and after 1 minute slide the whole tower on top of it. Give it 30 seconds, flip once more so the egg is uppermost, brush with okonomi sauce and scatter with aonori, katsuobushi and scallions. Repeat for the second one. Eat it straight off the griddle with a small metal spatula, which is how it is served in the Hiroshima okonomiyaki halls.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Southern Gumbo — Southern
- Anchoïade — French · Provence
- Polpo alla Luciana — Italian · Naples
- Manhattan-Style Tomato Clam Chowder — American
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole — American
Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.