International okonomiyaki at the G7 summit in Hiroshima

Okonomiyaki, sometimes referred to as “Japanese pancakes,” is the signature dish of Hiroshima cooking. When the city becomes the venue for the G7 Summit in May, the traditional dish should find its way into the world in special forms.

That’s the plan Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Academy, which consists of about 250 okonomiyaki restaurants in the area. At an event in February, she introduced seven different forms of okonomiyaki—one for each of the G7 countries.

Okonomiyaki – Hiroshima’s “soul food”.

G7 meetings are among the most important events at the international level and Find 2023 led by japan instead of. During the year, ministers from Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany will meet in the host country Japan. Representatives of the European Union are also invited.

The highlight is the G7 summit meeting in May, where the heads of government of the seven countries gather in Hiroshima to discuss current issues. Then, among other things, it will be a question of finding common positions on the energy transition, climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Hiroshima would also like to use the meeting to introduce Heads of State and their delegations to the city’s traditional cuisine. In addition to the new motives, some delegates can also bring their own okonomiyaki recipe with them.

Okonomiyaki, which literally means “fry what you want” or “fried to taste,” is traditionally made with layers of dough, cabbage, and yakisoba noodles. Depending on your taste, you can add sliced ​​\u200b\u200bham, vegetables, eggs and other ingredients, which are covered with a special sauce. The dish is always prepared on a hot plate.

At least okonomiyaki chefs no longer have to impress a G7 president: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, whose constituency is in Hiroshima Prefecture, is an outspoken fan of okonomiyaki. It is said that his favorite food is a version of the dish cooked by his wife, Yoko.

Home cooking dishes for everyone

For the G7 collection of recipes, the traditional Nikudama okonomiyaki with eggs, pork, and noodles also represents the Japanese islands. For other G7 countries, Okonomiyaki Academy’s chefs compiled recipes based on surveys of the city’s foreign residents and international students.

The result is some adventurous variations: American okonomiyaki, for example, is baked with cheese and served on a burger bun. For the British version, a portion of fish and chips ends up in okonomiyaki, while the Italian version is reminiscent of spaghetti with carbonara sauce. On the other hand, German okonomiyaki comes with a topping of sausage and sauerkraut.

Okonomiyaki designed as desserts of France and Canada complement the savory varieties. The first is pastry-style and topped with a fried egg. The Canadian variation is reminiscent of classic pancakes and uses applesauce and maple syrup as ingredients.

The Academy has already passed on G7 okonomiyaki recipes to its member restaurants, which will include them in their scope for the G7 Summit. In any case, Shigeki Sasaki, the group’s president, is really proud of the results: “We’ve been able to create a series of dishes that anyone from the participating countries can cook at home.”