Even though you are not familiar with Japanese sweets, you must heard of Dorayaki （銅鑼焼き）which is a Japanese cartoon character Doraemon's favorite snack. The most common filling for Japanese sweets is red bean (sweetened azuki beans). Not just Dorayaki, you can find red beans in various kinds of Japanese dessert.
Among Japanese sweets, taiyaki (たい焼き) is my favorite. Tai (鯛) means sea-bream in Japanese. That's why taiyaki is fish-shaped. Besides red beans filling, custard, chocolate or cheese are common fillings as well. Seasonal flavors are also available too, such as chestnuts in fall and ice-cream in summer.
By the way, my Japanese friend tells me there was heated debated concerned whether the Taiyaki should be eaten from the head or tail. My friend prefers starting from the head and he said if you can find the red beans at the tiny baked tail. It means the taiyaki is well made as the red beans spread evenly. For me, I do like to start with its head, though I don't mind to end with a plain baked tail. Anyway what I like taiyaki not just the various flavors I can select, also its portable size and shape.
Have you ever tried Okonomiyi（お好み焼き）? Okonomiyaki is known as a king of Japanese-style pancake. As its name indicates you can add whatever you like in okonomiyaki. If you have it at restaurant, you can cook it all by yourself on an iron table. Sometimes non-Japanese may find it difficult and not sure what to do. If you don't want to get into this trouble, I highly recommended Okonomitaiyaki（お好み鯛焼き）, that is a taiyaki with the okonomiyaki filling. You may not have wide selection of ingredient, but you can enjoy it everywhere, not just in front a hot iron table!
即使你不熟悉和菓子，你也該聽過日本卡通人物多拉A夢/叮噹最愛吃的豆沙餅（銅鑼焼き）吧。日本甜紅豆是最常見的和菓子餡料。不只是銅鑼燒，你可以隨處找到各種紅豆製的和菓子。
日本甜點中,我最喜愛鯛魚燒(鯛焼き）。日文TAI是指鯛魚。就如其名, taiyaki當然是製成魚形。除了紅豆餡，吉士、朱古力和芝士也是非常普遍的餡料。也有時令風味，如在秋季的栗子口味或在夏季的雪糕鯛魚燒。
曾經有日本朋友告訴我,在日本有不少關於應該先吃鯛魚燒的頭部或尾部的辯論。我的朋友比較喜歡從頭部開始吃，他說如果能在小小的魚尾上也能吃到紅豆餡,那表示紅豆分散均勻,那鯛魚燒必定製作精良。我也喜歡從頭吃起，倒是我不太介意紅豆餡沒有走到那小小的魚尾。反正我喜歡鯛魚燒是因為我可以選擇不同的口味，及其合到好處的尺寸和形狀。
你有沒有試過 Okonomiyi（お好み焼き）？它被稱為日式煎餅。正如其名 「お好み」，你可以把任喜歡的材料加入煎餅。如果你在餐廳吃這個的話，你還可以在鐵板上親自下廚。對外國人來說,或許會有點無所適從吧。但如果你不想自找麻煩，我推廌大家試試這個 Okonomitaiyaki（お好み鯛焼き），這是結合了日式煎餅味道的鯛魚燒。你不但不用在熱騰騰的鐵板前享受它,還可以帶它四處逛呢！
