What is Teppanyaki? History of Teppanyaki

What is Teppanyaki?

Teppanyaki is now all over the world. At this point, you must be wondering what it is? At least know the difference with Hibachi.

Please rest assured that in this article, I will introduce teppanyaki in detail, and at the end, you will become an expert in teppanyaki.

In Japanese cuisine, iron pans are laymen cooked in teppanyaki table.

When we break down the Japanese word Teppanyaki - things become a bit interesting: "tepan" refers to iron plate, and "yaki" just refers to grilled food.

You must think this is a very simple dish, but you are wrong. Teppanyaki is one of the most complex foods in the world, and mastering this cooking method requires great skill.

History of Teppanyaki

Teppanyaki has a very interesting history. I'm sure that when I think of Japanese history, the first thing that comes to mind is that it may involve samurai and swordsmanship.

But it is not the truth. The origin story of Teppanyaki is very similar to the story of Colonel Sanders!

Teppanyaki originated from a restaurant chain called Misono in Tokyo, Japan. When in Kobe, this restaurant first adopted the concept of teppanyaki in 1945.

This makes Teppanyaki a new member of the culinary world.

Regarding the history of teppanyaki, the interesting thing is that the locals don't like teppanyaki at all. Teppanyaki has been criticized as an inappropriate and unhygienic way of cooking!

So, you must be wondering how such a criticized delicacy can stand the test of time!

In fact, first American soldiers and later tourists, especially those from the United States, loved this kind of cuisine. But the problem is that tourists are mainly attracted by the entertainment factor of teppanyaki.

When I say entertainment, I mean all throwing knives and playing with fire. Please note that these require high skills!

Misono took advantage of this and focused on these entertainment factors in the next few years. They hired people who are not hard to find in Japan with superb sword skills!

Teppanyaki blows over to western culture

Teppanyaki is a big hit in Western culture! Soon, chain restaurants focusing on teppanyaki began to open globally!

Although many people call this way of cooking in front of you with an iron pan as Japanese cooking.

Today teppanyaki, as we know it, is very popular, and teppanyaki chefs still pay attention to the entertainment factor to this day. Why don't they? This is really a pleasing enjoyment (no pun intended).

At this point, you may be attracted by the rich history of teppanyaki, and may wonder if you can do it at home-and you can definitely!

Although teppanyaki looks very sophisticated, if you remove the entertainment factor, you will find that it is not that difficult.