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Japanese hotcake mix is handy to have in your pantry for last minute baking because there is more than one way of using the hotcake mix; from making pancake/hotcake to making cupcakes. I like to add the pancake mix in the electric doughnut and waffle maker because the doughnut comes out nice and fluffy.

Above picture is an example of using the pancake mix in a taiyaki pan/maker. I used the pancake mix and added filling inside the fish. It always comes out nice and fluffy. The taiyaki pan/maker I use is not electric, it needs to be used on a gas stove. I brought the pan on amazon. If you prefer electric, make sure you buy one that looks like a machine with white cover.

In Japan, they call the pancakes 'hot cake' (ホットケーキ). There is a lot of Japanese pancake brands but most of the brands will use the same ingredients which is egg and milk or water. You will use milk if you want a fluffier taste. But some people can't have milk, so they will put water instead.

Today's food translation will be on two Japanese hotcake brands, Morinaga and Showa. Both brands has similar ingredients and after cooking, it will give you a soft and fluffy pancake.
Both brands is tasty but I’ve been eating Morinaga brand for a few years, so I would lean towards that brand more.
Below I’ve put together comparison pictures of both brands.
Lets start with the batter. After adding the egg and milk both brands came out smooth after mixing. Morinaga is more white, while Showa was more creamy colour.

Next step was cooking on the frypan. Both pancake made holes while cooking and the batter wasn’t running.

After flipping the pancake, both raised very well. Which means it will be a fluffy pancake, yum!

Now the final step, to rip the pancake open. As you can see below, both pancake turned out nice and fluffy. Both Morinaga and Show brands is easy to use and you get good fluffy result.
Does all this pancake talk make you hungry? Want to try and cook this yummy fluffy pancake?
Below I’ll give the translated instructions from the packets.

You can purchase the hotcake mix from your local Asian grocery or on Amazon: Morinaga brand, Showa isn’t available on Amazon but you can click here to look at different Japanese pancake brands available in your area).

The instructions on the packets:

Morinaga

Ingredients:

1x Hotcake mix (150g)
1x Egg (Packet does say Medium egg, but I've used small and large egg and the pancake turned out fluffy)
100ml Milk or 100ml water (you can add lactose milk instead of normal milk)

Direction:

1. Add egg and milk/water in a bowl and stir
2. Add hotcake mix and stir until the batter is smooth
3. Heat the frying pan on medium flame. When you are ready, take the pan off the stove (put on towel or someplace that won't burn)
4. Pour the batter into the frypan, but make sure you pour it from 30cm high. (This is to add air to make it more fluffy)
5. Turn stove to low heat and put the frypan back on the stove. When holes/bubbles appear on the pancake after 3mins, flip the pancake
6. Fry for 2 minutes and remove pancake

Showa:

Ingredients:

1x Hotcake mix (120g)
1x Egg (Packet does say Medium egg, but I've used small and large egg and the pancake turned out fluffy)
80ml Milk or 80ml water (you can add lactose milk instead of normal milk)

Direction:

1. Add egg and milk/water in a bowl and stir
2. Add hotcake mix and stir until the batter is smooth
3. Heat the frying pan on medium flame. When you're ready, take the pan off the stove (put on towel or someplace that won't burn)
4. Pour the batter into the frypan
5. Turn stove to low heat and put the frypan back on the stove. When holes/bubbles appear on the pancake after 3mins, flip the pancake
6. Fry for 3 minutes and remove pancake

I don’t know if pouring the pancake mix from high distance makes a big different. When I try pouring from up high or pouring the mix closer to the pan, I only see a little height different. What do you think? Do you see a difference?

When the instructions tells you to take the pan off the stove to pour the mix. I believe this step makes a big difference. When I do this, it makes a nice brown colour, but when I pour the the mix onto the pan while on the stove, it creates a white ring round the pancake edge.

If you are interesting in trying the Japanese pancake, you can visit amazon for Morinaga brand or look at other Japanese pancake brands.

Thank you for visiting and enjoy making your fluffy yummy pancake. (o´ω`o)
If you’ll like to try Korean pancake, you can read my review here.