<p>No it's called Ba-wan. That's what it is.. There are tons of links that will tell you. <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinalan/heres-how-to-eat-everything-youve-ever-wanted-fr" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinalan/heres-how-to-eat-everything-youve-ever-wanted-fr</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-21T05:44:43.653Z
If you read the accepted answer, you'll read that it has been conclusively shown that it is NOT Ba-wan and you've been misinformed.
Arcane
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-21T05:45:26.393Z
Rather than just linking to the external site, could you include the relevant content from that site here? We prefer if the answers here are complete to avoid link-rot and to make answers here complete. Link-only answers are not considered good answers even if they're correct. http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/8231/are-answers-that-just-contain-links-elsewhere-really-good-answers
Arcane
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-21T05:40:43.953Z
2016-12-21T05:40:43.953Z
Kristina
<p>It appears that the food was noted as &quot;lamb stomach&quot; (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis" rel="nofollow noreferrer">haggis</a> or similar) at the <a href="https://www.ntv.co.jp/layout/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Studio Ghibli Layout Designs</a> exhibitions.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4oJTJ.jpg" alt="Haggis" /></p>
<p><sup>The &quot;fins&quot; are where the haggis is sewn or tied.</sup></p>
<p>On page 220 of the exhibition catalogue, the following description is given about the food in question:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>中に汁気たっぷりの<br />
具がつまっている<br />
外の皮はやわらかく<br />
まるでトロトロの小羊の<br />
胃袋のよう</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/lE5ky.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/lE5ky.jpg" alt="the exhibition catalogue says it's lamb stomach" /></a></p>
<p>While the description doesn't tell us the name of the food, it likens it to, and probably is, a lamb stomach.</p>
<p>Then on September 19, 2020, Spirited Away's key animator, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, <a href="https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307128080725684224" rel="nofollow noreferrer">tweeted</a> that the food as written in the storyboard was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Coelacanth</a>'s stomach (thanks to <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/15302/what-is-chihiros-father-eating/21743#comment73204_21743">кяαzєя</a> for bringing this to my attention). However, in the responses to the tweet, people pointed out that this information was never published in <em>Studio Ghibli Storyboards Volume 13: Spirited Away</em>, and what was published, in the aforementioned <em>Studio Ghibli Layout Designs</em>, contradicts his answer. Considering that in the <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/2517/8486">anime production process</a>, the layout designs come after the storyboards, Yonebayashi's answer recited from memory might have been revised later on. In light of the observations made above, and of the available images of haggis and a hypothetical dish of Coelacanth's stomach, I am more inclined to believe that the food Chihiro's father was eating was lamb stomach.</p>
<p>By the way, you can see the reconstructed food on display at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghibli_Park" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ghibli Park</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/imxJP.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/imxJP.jpg" alt="The food that the gods eat" /></a></p>
<hr />
<h3>Addendum</h3>
<p>Perhaps you've been told that the food is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba-wan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ba-wan</a>, a Taiwanese street food. Perhaps you've been told that the town from Spirited Away is modeled after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiufen" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Jiufen</a>, a tourist attraction in Taiwan. They are at best misinformation and at worst disinformation propagated by travel agencies and shopkeepers to increase sales. Hayao Miyazaki has denied twice, once in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ9BnbkRzOg&amp;t=3m20s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">TVBS news interview</a>, and once more in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6_h3A6QaM&amp;t=1m15s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CTi news interview</a> that Jiufen was an inspiration for the film's settings. What were really the inspirations and/or models for the settings are listed in this well-researched <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150523055156/https://note.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/detail/n164416" rel="nofollow noreferrer">article</a>: the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgo_Onsen" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dougo Onsen</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo-Tokyo_Open_Air_Architectural_Museum" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meguro_Gajoen" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Meguro Gajoen</a> being the <strong>officially confirmed</strong> places.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T04:19:07.477Z
how can he use chopstick to eat that. . .  that food looks heavy -_-
Tanya von Degurechaff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T10:54:18.330Z
@NamikazeSheena [Chopsticks can pick up anything](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5pMMRqiME8).
Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T11:02:37.033Z
ha . . . i don't have that kind of arm strenght. are they wrapped with actual lamb stomach ?
Tanya von Degurechaff
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-15T23:18:04.303Z
Wow, I expected the Lamb's stomach, Haggis to look different when watching Spirited Away. I've always wanted to know what the dad was eating....but it looks straight up nasty. But hey! you never know, unless you try it right?
Arlana Loving
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-24T18:29:25.080Z
https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307128080725684224 An senior Ghibili animator, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, seems to indicate that it was supposed to be the stomach of a coelacanth.
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-25T04:43:18.103Z
@кяαzєя I am confused. Was it originally supposed to be the stomach of a coelacanth in the storyboard and they dropped the idea or not?
Gao
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-25T07:05:21.333Z
It was not in the storyboards according to the animator. But noted to probably from the sketches by Miyazaki: https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307154347373989892
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 4.0
2015-05-23T07:09:44.173Z
2023-06-23T15:07:21.543Z
2023-06-23T15:07:21.543Z
Gao
<p>In the scene where Chihiro's parents start <em>pigging</em> out,</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RFOcC.jpg" alt="O Nom Nom Nom" /></p>
<p>We see Chihiro's father eating some soft, almost gelatinous blob that seems to have fins or something.</p>
<p>Is this an actual food item? If so, what is it? If not, is it based off any real life dishes?</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2JliW.jpg" alt="I want some!" />
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z9KJR.jpg" alt="Moar!" /></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-26T04:20:25.433Z
At first i thought it was chicken but the "fins" are too close to be the wings and legs
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-26T10:00:24.967Z
I'm not aware of any creature with a shape like that, although I'm not a biologist.  It's unusual for animals to be shaped like that in general, though.  Maybe it's something native to the spirit world?
Clockwork-Muse
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-28T09:14:30.390Z
I think it'd be better to give a read circle to the object u're asking.
絢瀬絵里
<spirited-away>
What is Chihiro's father eating?
# What is Chihiro's father eating?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-11-26
In the scene where Chihiro's parents start *pigging* out,

![O Nom Nom Nom](https://i.sstatic.net/RFOcC.jpg)

We see Chihiro's father eating some soft, almost gelatinous blob that seems to have fins or something.

Is this an actual food item? If so, what is it? If not, is it based off any real life dishes?

![I want some!](https://i.sstatic.net/2JliW.jpg)
![Moar!](https://i.sstatic.net/z9KJR.jpg)
**Tags:** spirited-away
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: At first i thought it was chicken but the "fins" are too close to be the wings and legs  
> **username_2**: I'm not aware of any creature with a shape like that, although I'm not a biologist.  It's unusual for animals to be shaped like that in general, though.  Maybe it's something native to the spirit world?  
> **username_3**: I think it'd be better to give a read circle to the object u're asking.  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_6 on 2015-05-23. Score: 32 | Accepted answer
It appears that the food was noted as "lamb stomach" ([haggis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis) or similar) at the [Studio Ghibli Layout Designs](https://www.ntv.co.jp/layout/index.html) exhibitions.

![Haggis](https://i.sstatic.net/4oJTJ.jpg)

The "fins" are where the haggis is sewn or tied.

On page 220 of the exhibition catalogue, the following description is given about the food in question:

> 中に汁気たっぷりの  
> 具がつまっている  
> 外の皮はやわらかく  
> まるでトロトロの小羊の  
> 胃袋のよう

[![the exhibition catalogue says it's lamb stomach](https://i.sstatic.net/lE5ky.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/lE5ky.jpg)

While the description doesn't tell us the name of the food, it likens it to, and probably is, a lamb stomach.

Then on September 19, 2020, Spirited Away's key animator, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, [tweeted](https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307128080725684224) that the food as written in the storyboard was [Coelacanth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth)'s stomach (thanks to [кяαzєя](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/15302/what-is-chihiros-father-eating/21743#comment73204_21743) for bringing this to my attention). However, in the responses to the tweet, people pointed out that this information was never published in *Studio Ghibli Storyboards Volume 13: Spirited Away*, and what was published, in the aforementioned *Studio Ghibli Layout Designs*, contradicts his answer. Considering that in the [anime production process](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/2517/8486), the layout designs come after the storyboards, Yonebayashi's answer recited from memory might have been revised later on. In light of the observations made above, and of the available images of haggis and a hypothetical dish of Coelacanth's stomach, I am more inclined to believe that the food Chihiro's father was eating was lamb stomach.

By the way, you can see the reconstructed food on display at the [Ghibli Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghibli_Park).

[![The food that the gods eat](https://i.sstatic.net/imxJP.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/imxJP.jpg)

---

### Addendum

Perhaps you've been told that the food is [ba-wan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba-wan), a Taiwanese street food. Perhaps you've been told that the town from Spirited Away is modeled after [Jiufen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiufen), a tourist attraction in Taiwan. They are at best misinformation and at worst disinformation propagated by travel agencies and shopkeepers to increase sales. Hayao Miyazaki has denied twice, once in the [TVBS news interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ9BnbkRzOg&t=3m20s), and once more in the [CTi news interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6_h3A6QaM&t=1m15s) that Jiufen was an inspiration for the film's settings. What were really the inspirations and/or models for the settings are listed in this well-researched [article](https://web.archive.org/web/20150523055156/https://note.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/detail/n164416): the [Dougo Onsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgo_Onsen), the [Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo-Tokyo_Open_Air_Architectural_Museum) and [Meguro Gajoen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meguro_Gajoen) being the **officially confirmed** places.
> **Comments:**
> **username_7** (2016-03-22): how can he use chopstick to eat that. . .  that food looks heavy -_-  
> **username_6** (2016-03-22): @NamikazeSheena [Chopsticks can pick up anything](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5pMMRqiME8).  
> **username_7** (2016-03-22): ha . . . i don't have that kind of arm strenght. are they wrapped with actual lamb stomach ?  
> **username_8** (2018-12-15): Wow, I expected the Lamb's stomach, Haggis to look different when watching Spirited Away. I've always wanted to know what the dad was eating....but it looks straight up nasty. But hey! you never know, unless you try it right?  
> **username_0** (2020-09-24): https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307128080725684224 An senior Ghibili animator, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, seems to indicate that it was supposed to be the stomach of a coelacanth.  
> **username_6** (2020-09-25): @кяαzєя I am confused. Was it originally supposed to be the stomach of a coelacanth in the storyboard and they dropped the idea or not?  
> **username_0** (2020-09-25): It was not in the storyboards according to the animator. But noted to probably from the sketches by Miyazaki: https://twitter.com/MaroYonebayashi/status/1307154347373989892  
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2016-12-21. Score: -6
No it's called Ba-wan. That's what it is.. There are tons of links that will tell you. <https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinalan/heres-how-to-eat-everything-youve-ever-wanted-fr>
> **Comments:**
> **username_5** (2016-12-21): If you read the accepted answer, you'll read that it has been conclusively shown that it is NOT Ba-wan and you've been misinformed.  
> **username_5** (2016-12-21): Rather than just linking to the external site, could you include the relevant content from that site here? We prefer if the answers here are complete to avoid link-rot and to make answers here complete. Link-only answers are not considered good answers even if they're correct. http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/8231/are-answers-that-just-contain-links-elsewhere-really-good-answers  
---
