At
Inukko Matsuri, we decided to enjoy some of the festival food for dinner. But what to have? Pretty much every food item available was something
yaki - grilled or fried. There was
takoyaki (octopus in fried balls of batter),
yakiniku (grilled beef skewers),
okonomiyaki (fried pancake with toppings),
ikayaki (grilled squid),
yakizakana (grilled fish),
yakisoba (fried noodles) with or without
medamayaki (fried egg),
yakimochi (grilled
mochi),
yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), and
yakidango (grilled rice flour balls). Other foods such as
nabeyaki udon (fried noodle hot-pot),
sukiyaki (simmered morsels),
teriyaki (meat or chicken with a sweet sauce) and
yakiimo (grilled sweet potato) were not represented at the festival.
As we considered our options, we saw a tent set off from the others a little ways, advertising
dondoyaki. What kind of food might that be? We'd never heard of it, but thought it would be best to check it out before deciding what to eat. As we approached the tent, it became apparent that food was not involved. They actually seemed to be collecting pine branches. Then it dawned on us that
yaki isn't just for food - it also means burning things. In fact, they were collecting new year's decorations to burn in a bonfire as part of a Shinto ceremony.
Needless to say, we opted for some of the other
yakis for dinner.