Eat-Japan presents HYPER JAPAN is a brand new event being held in London on October 1st through 3rd this year. Check out the site here. It’s going to feature a brilliant food court with loads of authentic, delicious and freshly made Japanese food - and we’ll be introducing what’s coming up here.

Dorayaki is a traditional Japanese confection with a delicious mix of Japanese and Western flavours. But dorayaki is no ordinary treat: there is a story behind its birth. Once, there was warrior monk called Benkei, who had been injured. He was helped by a family, so as a thank you he used his dora, or gong, to fry a pancake and wrapped anko inside (why was he carrying a gong, you ask? Think little prayer gong rather than massive-beginning-of-movie gong). Anko is a sweet azuki (red bean) paste favoured in many Japanese confectionaries, and not to be confused with ankou (with a long vowel) which, trust me, you don’t want in your pancake. At least not looking like this.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), dorayaki was made from a single pancake wrapped around anko, but in 1914 Usagiya in Tokyo invented what we now know and love as dorayaki, sandwiching anko between two pieces of pancakes.

Nowadays, it is called ‘Mikasa’ in Kansai area and it is famous as the favourite food of Doraemon, the popular Japanese manga character. There are many types of Dorayaki with different ingredients inside. At HYPER JAPAN you can enjoy the delicious variety on offer from Wagashi: Matcha Mascarpone, made with powdered matcha green tea from Sasaki Green Tea, that proved such a hit at last year’s Eat-Japan Sushi Awards, Kuri (Red Bean with Chestnut Pieces), Custard, Matcha Custard, Red Bean (Azuki) and Cream Cheese Anko. These sweet,but not too sweet, fluffy, beany pancakes are wonderfully moreish and delicious at any time of the day – team up with your friends to try a bite of each flavour!

Photo from Wagashi Ltd.: Red Bean with Chestnut Dorayaki