Dorayaki facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Mikasa |
|---|---|
| Type | Wagashi pancake |
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Main ingredients | Castella, red bean paste or sweet azuki bean paste |
Dorayaki (どら焼き, どらやき, 銅鑼焼き, ドラ焼き) is a super yummy Japanese sweet treat! It's a type of wagashi, which means traditional Japanese sweets. Imagine a sweet sandwich made with two fluffy, pancake-like patties. These patties are called castella, a type of sponge cake. Inside, Dorayaki is filled with a delicious sweet red bean paste, often made from azuki beans.
Did you know Dorayaki used to be just one pancake? The yummy sandwich shape we know today was created in 1914 by a shop called Usagiya in Ueno, a district in Tokyo, Japan.
The name Dorayaki comes from the Japanese word dora, which means "gong". This is because the round shape of the sweet looks a lot like a gong! There's a fun legend that says the very first Dorayaki were made when a brave samurai named Benkei accidentally left his gong behind at a farmer's house. The clever farmer then used the gong to cook the pancakes!
Different Names for Dorayaki
In some parts of Japan, especially the Kansai region, this sweet treat is often called mikasa. The word mikasa originally means "triple straw hat". It's also another name for Mount Wakakusa, a small hill in Nara. In Nara, you can even find a much bigger mikasa that's about 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) wide!
Dorayaki in Pop Culture
Dorayaki is super famous thanks to the Japanese manga and anime character Doraemon. Doraemon is a robot cat from the future, and he absolutely loves Dorayaki! It's his favorite food in the whole world. In the English version of the show, Doraemon sometimes calls them "yummy buns."
Because Doraemon loves them so much, Dorayaki often play a big part in the stories. Doraemon is so fond of Dorayaki that he can sometimes fall for traps if they involve his favorite snack! Since the year 2000, a company called Bunmeido has even sold special "Doraemon Dorayaki" around March and September each year.
In 2015, a movie called "An" (also known as "Sweet Bean") was released. It's based on a novel and tells the story of an older woman who has a secret recipe for making truly amazing Dorayaki anko (red bean paste).
See also
In Spanish: Dorayaki para niños
