Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion (negi). The balls are brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi).

People of some cultures eat octopus. The arms and sometimes other body parts are prepared in various ways, often varying by species and/or geography.