Comments on:

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:36:00 +0000

Who knows? Maybe the takoyaki pan was a copycat of the Aebelskiver pan? Japanese are famous for “borrowing” ideas anyway!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:32:00 +0000

Just because there is a similar pan in Osaka making octopus balls doesn’t mean there is no such thing as Dutch pancake puff. What a self-centered ignorant moron!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:15:00 +0000

Does it work? My seven year old daughter and I saw the commercial. She wants it, and I was intrigued. I run a bed and breakfast and thought that puff pancakes might be fun. On ebay, someone was selling a japanese electric version that does 20 at a time– but I missed the auction. Then there’s the danish version. Anyone try these?

Working towards world pancake dominion!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:15:00 +0000

Laugh all you want (I did), but I’m beginning to see that the “pastry puff” may have a more universal appeal than you realize. I’m shifting my opinion closer to “what a stroke of marketing genius” the more I hear. In my Danish heritage, these are called Aebelskiver and we use the round pan. I understand that other Scandinavians have something similar as well. Now you show me the takoyaki pan and we see a whole different dimension of a similar idea. Most of the types of fillings described on the infomercial are more closely related to the Scandinavian traditions, although there are a few new ideas there, too. I’m not sure I’m ready for chopped seafood in my Aebelskiver, but there are one or two new ones that I might try.

Limited appeal? Try all Americans of Japanese and/or Scandinavian decent. I may have to get myself a takoyaki pan so I can make more at one time!

By: Chubbypanda

Chubbypanda — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:52:00 +0000

You can’t see me, but I’m crying tears of blood right now.

By: Jason Truesdell

Jason Truesdell — Thu, 24 May 2007 08:09:00 +0000

On eGullet this has come up recently. It’s quite possible the Dutch Aebleskiver came from an Indonesian pancake that is a bit similar… That would be the “pancake puff” of a small number of people’s heritage, perhaps. I’ve seen them in some Scandinavian-focused shops as well.

In Japan I’ve also seen “mini castella” made in an oblong form at a yatai in Ochanomizu… not too far off, either. Pancakes/waffles/takoyaki/taiyaki/ningyoyaki… they’re all cousins.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Wed, 23 May 2007 06:07:00 +0000

Wow, that stressed me out.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:08:00 +0000

I’ve seen the infomercial for this and immediately burst out laughing, also. Then I was horrified. Poor takoyaki pan.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 19 May 2007 05:17:00 +0000

if i recall rightly, there’s a dutch pancake that uses a similar pan. they are round puffballs. but why someone would advertise on asian tv for a dutch takeoff???