Enjoying hot takoyaki as a takeaway is a delightful experience; the outside is crispy while the inside boasts a gooey texture, a true charm of this dish. The harmony between the texture of the octopus and the special sauce unfolds in your mouth. The moment you savor these hot takoyakis while walking through the streets is indeed a moment of bliss.
We will guide you on how to capture this simple yet profound flavor in a photo that will shine on Instagram.
The History of Takoyaki
The history of takoyaki is quite extensive, tracing back to the Edo period. Its initial form was known as “Akashiyaki,” which originated around the year 1835 (during the Tenpō era) in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture. This dish was a combination of leftover egg yolks, wheat flour, and octopus, which was abundantly available locally.
※*Note: It is common to eat Akashiyaki by coating it with sauce and dipping it in broth.
The modern incarnation of “takoyaki” began in 1935 (Showa 10) at “Aizuya” in Osaka. The first owner, Mr. Tomokichi Endo, initially offered a dish called “Radio-yaki” which used beef tendons and konjac. However, after receiving information from a customer about a dish using octopus in the Akashi region, he began selling takoyaki incorporating octopus as an ingredient.
*Note: While takoyaki is a derivative dish of Akashiyaki, the people of Osaka, where takoyaki is considered a soul food, insist that takoyaki and Akashiyaki are completely different dishes.
POINT.1 Determine the Main Star
Deciding on the main star of the subject is an indispensable element in taking delicious-looking food photos.
By setting a main star, you can attract the viewer’s gaze, effectively arrange other elements, and create a well-balanced composition.
Avoid arrangements where light hits the back of the subject ×
Arrangements with side light coming from the right are ◎If it’s difficult to decide on the main subject, it’s better to go with your intuition rather than overthinking it.
POINT.2 Eliminate Wide-Angle Lens Distortion
Generally, the shooting angle of smartphones is wide-angle*, causing distortion on the left and right sides of the subject.
To eliminate this distortion, it is recommended to shoot using “2x zoom” or “portrait mode”. *The focal length of 1x on an iPhone is 26mm, and 0.5x is 13mm.
POINT.3 Capture the Sizzle
Hot dishes, when photographed while still hot, enhance the sizzle sensation. Additionally, capturing the sparkling reflection of the sauce and the steam conveying the hotness becomes an important point in taking photos with a sizzle feel.
Here is a shot where the reflection of the sauce was captured well:
Don’t Overthink the Theory, Be Free
Not limited to cooking or the type of camera equipment like DSLRs or smartphones, essentially, photography is best enjoyed when everyone is free to have fun with it.
Therefore, getting too caught up in theories such as the angle of light or determining the main subject can spoil the joy of photography. So, at its core, please value your own intuition and sensitivity.
For this takoyaki shoot, an overhead angle seemed interesting, so here is an attempt without being too conscious about the format:
Deliberately creating a margin on the left
Emphasizing the presence of light from the right sideFinally, the best shot of this session:
The video is available on YouTube
Regarding the techniques for photographing Takoyaki, I am also broadcasting them on YouTube videos, so please be sure to check them out.
*Don’t worry, it has English subtitles.