What are the differences between Okonomiyaki and Hiroshimayaki?

Oh, that's a great question! These two are indeed often confused, and many people think they're the same thing. Let me give you an analogy, and you'll understand.

You can imagine Osaka-style Okonomiyaki as a "vegetable, seafood, and meat pancake" or a "Japanese pizza." The way it's made is by first mixing all the ingredients together – cabbage, batter, egg, meat/seafood/anything you want – in a large bowl, turning it into a sticky mixture. Then, it's "splashed" onto a teppan (griddle), spread into a round pancake shape, and fried on both sides until cooked. Finally, it's brushed with sauce, drizzled with mayonnaise, and sprinkled with bonito flakes and seaweed powder. The core idea is: all ingredients are mixed together before frying.

Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki, on the other hand, is more like making a "thousand-layer pancake" or a "Japanese crepe." Its preparation process is layered, which is quite a spectacle to watch:

1. First, a very thin, round layer of batter is spread on the teppan, like a crepe.
2. On this thin layer, a mountain of shredded cabbage (a truly massive amount!), bean sprouts, and meat slices are piled up.
3. This entire stack, along with the base crepe, is flipped over, allowing the steam from the teppan to cook the cabbage.
4. Meanwhile, the chef starts stir-frying noodles (usually Japanese yakisoba).
5. Then, the steamed "cabbage mountain" is moved onto the stir-fried noodles.
6. Finally, an egg is cracked and fried nearby, and the "cabbage mountain + noodles" combination is moved onto the egg.
7. It's flipped again, sauced, and done!

To summarize the biggest differences:

• Method: Osaka-style is "mixed," while Hiroshima-style is "layered."
• Noodles: Hiroshima-style always includes a layer of stir-fried noodles as a standard component, whereas Osaka-style doesn't typically include noodles, and if added, they are mixed into the batter.
• Texture: Osaka-style has a denser, more substantial texture, like a thick pancake; Hiroshima-style has a very rich layered texture, allowing you to taste the crispy base, sweet vegetables, and chewy stir-fried noodles.

So, the next time you're at a Japanese restaurant, if the chef mixes everything together on the teppan, it's Osaka-style Okonomiyaki. If they're layering ingredients one by one and stir-frying noodles on the side, it's definitely Hiroshima-style. Hiroshima-style is also usually much larger, and one is often enough to fill you up!