Roundup of classic and popular festival foods, plus trending menu items
When you go to a festival, the first things that catch your eye are all the food stalls, right? Game stalls like lotteries and yo-yo fishing are fun, and food stalls that everyone loves—from kids to adults—are a must.
In this article, we’ll introduce a roundup of classic festival foods.
We’ve picked a wide range, from longtime favorites to items that have become popular in recent years.
If you’re wondering what to eat at a festival or which type of stall to run, be sure to check this out!
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Roundup of classic and popular festival foods, plus trendy menus (21–30)
Isobe-yaki (grilled seaweed-wrapped rice cake)
Isobeyaki, with its appetizing aroma of soy sauce sizzling to a toasty finish.
It’s made by brushing soy sauce glaze onto mochi wrapped in nori and grilling it.
Along with enjoying the sea-scented nori, one of isobeyaki’s charms is how easy it is to eat with one hand.
Since it uses mochi, you could even call it a uniquely Japanese form of fast food.
During the bubble era from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, isobeyaki was sold in busy downtown areas like Shinjuku Kabukicho, Shibuya Center Street, and Ginza.
Back then, it supposedly cost around 100 yen.
Chicken skin dumplings
Chicken-skin gyoza: dumplings whose filling is wrapped in chicken skin.
They’re so popular lately that even frozen chicken-skin gyoza are being sold.
Those grilled on a hot plate with a nice char look incredibly appetizing.
With the first bite, the richness that seeps from the chicken skin mingles with the dumpling filling, spreading umami in your mouth.
Like grilled chicken skin yakitori, they’re characterized by a crisp texture and a toasty aroma.
They are said to have originated in China.
Chicken skin, which is high in fat, adds depth and umami to the filling.
They’re also beloved as a style of gyoza suited to China’s colder regions, where dumplings are often eaten in hot pots.
Summary of classic and popular festival foods, including trendy menu items (31–40)
taiyaki (a fish-shaped cake filled with sweet red bean paste)
Taiyaki isn’t just a festival treat—it’s a Japanese-style sweet you can’t help but buy when you spot it around town.
Many people can’t resist the contrast of the crispy outer shell and the steaming-hot sweet bean filling.
Recently, you can even find croissant taiyaki made with croissant dough, as well as savory versions stuffed with German potato or bacon instead of red bean paste or custard.
Its easy, one-handed portability is part of the charm, too.
corn dog
American dogs are a familiar food you can find in the hot snack section of convenience stores.
Freshly fried ones are crispy, while those that have sat for a while have a pleasantly soft texture that’s tasty in its own way.
Beyond the classic bat-shaped American dog, there’s been an increase in varieties lately.
You can find the Korean-style hatogu packed with cheese, or versions with churro dough wrapped around the sausage.
American dogs are usually eaten with ketchup and mustard, right? In Kushiro, Hokkaido, there’s even a custom of sprinkling them with sugar.
Tamasen
When you think of tamasen, it’s that old-fashioned snack you get at food stalls, right? It’s a half-cooked fried egg grilled on a hot plate, sandwiched between large shrimp crackers, usually seasoned with mayonnaise and sauce.
The runny yolk tends to spill, so it’s tricky to eat neatly, but its simple flavor is irresistible and unlike anything else.
These days, versions topped with cheese are also sold, and I think it’s a menu item that even small children happily enjoy.
Mitarashi dango
When it comes to mitarashi dango, isn’t it one of the most popular types of wagashi? Still, because it’s so easy to buy, many people may have never made it themselves.
For the dumpling portion, you use a flour called shiratamako.
You can knead it with water, but there’s also a method where you use silken tofu instead of water.
Using tofu is said to produce dumplings that don’t harden even after being refrigerated.
Boil them in hot water, skewer them, and sear them in a frying pan to add a bit of char.
All that’s left is to coat them with sauce and they’re ready.
Even a sauce made with just soy sauce makes for a delicious, grown-up flavor.
Tornado potato
Tornado potatoes, often seen at festivals, are hearty and filling, and their unique look is super photogenic—so there’s no doubt they’ll be a hit if you sell them! Many people may wonder, “How do you cut a potato into a tornado shape?” but with a special tool—available even at 100-yen shops—you can easily slice potatoes into the tornado form.
Just skewer the spiral-cut potato and fry it, and you’re done! If you divide up the tasks, you’ll have them ready in no time.
Even the process of spiraling the potatoes can become a fun, memorable activity when you work together.