Okonomiyaki, main dish from Japan: what it is and how it is eaten

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake made from a wheat flour batter, cabbage, and various other ingredients, cooked on a flat griddle. It is most closely associated with the Kansai and Hiroshima regions, where different styles have developed, and is topped with sauce, seaweed flakes, bonito flakes, mayonnaise, and pickled ginger. The dish is eaten hot and is popular as a main course or street food throughout Japa

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Main styles come from Osaka and Hiroshima
Cooked on a flat metal griddle called a teppan
Topped with sauce, seaweed, bonito flakes, and mayonnaise
Name means 'grilled as you like'
Popular as both restaurant and street food

What is Okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake from Japan, made by mixing wheat flour batter with shredded cabbage and other ingredients such as egg, meat, or seafood. The mixture is cooked on a flat metal griddle called a teppan. Once cooked, it is topped with a dark, tangy sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce), dried seaweed flakes, bonito flakes, mayonnaise, and pickled ginger. The result is a thick, hearty pancake with a crisp outside and a soft, flavorful center. The toppings add a mix of salty, sweet, and umami flavors.

Where does Okonomiyaki come from?

Okonomiyaki's roots trace back to funoyaki, a thin crêpe-like sweet from 16th-century Japan. Over time, savory versions appeared, especially after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and again following World War II, when rice was scarce and people turned to flour-based foods. The name 'okonomiyaki' first appeared in Osaka in the 1930s. The dish evolved as a way to cook whatever ingredients were available, leading to its name, which means 'grilled as you like.' Regional styles developed, especially in Kansai and Hiroshima.

How is Okonomiyaki made?

To make okonomiyaki, a batter of wheat flour, water or dashi (broth), and eggs is mixed with shredded cabbage and other chosen ingredients, such as pork, seafood, or green onions. In the Kansai style, everything is mixed together before cooking. In the Hiroshima style, the ingredients are layered, often with a generous amount of cabbage and a layer of fried noodles. The pancake is cooked on a hot griddle, flipped to cook both sides, and finished with sauces and toppings.

How and when is Okonomiyaki eaten?

Okonomiyaki is usually eaten hot, straight from the griddle, either at specialized restaurants or at home. In many places, diners can cook their own at the table, using metal spatulas to flip and cut the pancake. It is a popular choice for lunch or dinner and is also sold as street food in cities across Japan and some Asian capitals. The dish is filling and often shared, making it a social meal.

Kinds of Okonomiyaki

There are two main regional styles: Kansai (Osaka) and Hiroshima. Kansai okonomiyaki mixes all ingredients into the batter, while Hiroshima okonomiyaki layers them and includes a large amount of cabbage and fried noodles. Other local versions use ingredients like ground meat, oysters, or pickled daikon. Modan-yaki adds noodles to the Kansai style, and negiyaki uses a lot of scallions. Tokyo has a runnier version called monjayaki.

What Okonomiyaki means

Okonomiyaki is a symbol of casual, everyday Japanese food culture and is especially beloved in Osaka and Hiroshima. Hiroshima has more okonomiyaki restaurants per person than anywhere else in Japan, and the dish is a point of local pride. Okonomiyaki is also featured in food theme parks and has inspired related dishes and sauces. Its flexibility and social style of eating make it a favorite for gatherings.

Questions people ask about Okonomiyaki

What is okonomiyaki made of?

Okonomiyaki is made from a batter of wheat flour, eggs, and water or dashi, mixed with shredded cabbage and other ingredients like meat or seafood. It is topped with a special sauce, seaweed flakes, bonito flakes, mayonnaise, and pickled ginger.

Where does okonomiyaki come from?

Okonomiyaki is from Japan, with the most famous versions coming from Osaka and Hiroshima. It developed in the 20th century as a flexible, filling dish that could use whatever ingredients were available.

How is okonomiyaki cooked?

The batter and fillings are either mixed or layered, then cooked on a flat griddle (teppan) until both sides are browned. It is then topped with sauce and other garnishes before serving hot.

What are the main differences between Kansai and Hiroshima styles?

Kansai style mixes all ingredients into the batter, while Hiroshima style layers them, uses more cabbage, and often adds fried noodles. Both are cooked on a griddle but have different textures and presentation.

Is okonomiyaki vegetarian?

Okonomiyaki can be made vegetarian by choosing only plant-based fillings and omitting meat or seafood. However, many versions include pork, seafood, or bonito flakes, so it depends on the recipe.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Okonomiyaki", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Okonomiyaki