Japanese curry
Encyclopedia
is one of the most popular dishes
in Japan
. It is commonly served in three main forms: , karē udon
(thick noodles) and karē-pan
(bread
). Curry rice is most commonly referred to simply as .
A wide variety of vegetables and meats are used to make Japanese curry. The basic vegetables are onions, carrots, and potatoes. For the meat, beef
, pork
, chicken
are the most popular. Katsu-karē is a breaded deep-fried pork cutlet
with curry sauce.
Curry was introduced to Japan
during the Meiji era (1868–1912) by the British, at a time when India
was under the administration
of the British
. The dish became popular and available for purchase in supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s. It has been adapted since its introduction to Japan, and is so widely consumed that it can be called a national dish
.
. The Imperial Japanese Navy
adopted curry from the British Navy, and now the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
's Friday menu is curry rice.
In the Kansai region, beef curry is most common, while in the Kantō region
pork curry is most popular. This contrasts with South Asia
n curries where, due to the strong influence of Hinduism and Islam, vegetarian, chicken and lamb curries are most common.
, flour and oil, along with other ingredients, to make ; the roux is then added to stewed meat and vegetables, and then simmered until thickened. Adding potatoes to curry sauce was introduced by William S. Clark
of the Sapporo Agricultural College
, due to rice shortages at the time.
In Japanese homes, curry sauce is most commonly made from instant curry roux, which is available in block and powder forms, and contains curry powder, flour, oils and various flavourings. Ease of preparation, and the wide variety and availability of instant curry mixes, has made curry rice very popular, as it is very easy to make compared to many other Japanese dishes
. Pre-made curry is available in vacuum-sealed bags that can be reheated in boiling water.
Instant curry roux was first sold in powder form by House Foods
in 1926, and in block form by S&B Foods in 1956. In financial 2007, Japanese domestic shipments of instant curry roux was 827 billion yen. Market share for household use in 2007 was captured almost entirely by House Foods (59.0%), S&B Foods (25.8%) and Ezaki Glico (9.4%).
Vacuum-sealed curry sauce, prepared by heating the pouch in hot water or the microwave, is also popular. As of financial 2007, curry sauce is the largest single category of vacuum-sealed foods in Japan, making up over 30% of sales.
or rakkyō on the side. Bok choi, raisins, pickles or nuts are also used.
(fried beef and onion, cooked with red wine and demi-glace).: curry rice, topped with a raw egg and baked in an oven. Originally from Kitakyushu.: curry sauce with rice served in a heated stone bowl, in a similar way to dolsot bibimbap. or soup curry: a watery, broth-like curry sauce served with chunky ingredients such as a chicken leg and coarsely-cut vegetables. Popular in Hokkaidō
.
from Aomori
from Chiba
from Nagano
and Aomori
from Tokyo
from Aichi
from Mie
from Wakayama
from Hiroshima
from Shimane
from Kagoshima
from Okinawa
The number of varieties continues to grow, each made from a certain region's particular specialty ingredients. It is thought that the wide availability online of information on each new variety has helped fuel this boom.
Local curries are also being marketed to help boost tourism. Some varieties of this include , sold in Yokusuka to promote its heritage as a naval base; in Tsuchiura to promote the Zeppelin landing in 1929.
during the colonial period
, and is popular there. It is often found at bunsik
restaurants (diner-style establishments), donkkaseu
-oriented restaurants, and at the majority of Japanese restaurants. Premade curry and powdered mixes are also readily available in supermarkets.
s that have a Japanese section or in Japanese or Asian food stores
. Amongst the most common brands sold in the United States
are Vermont Curry, made by House Foods Corporation, and Golden Curry, made by S&B Foods Inc.
The largest Japanese curry company in Japan is House Foods Corporation. The company operates more than 10 Curry House Restaurants in USA. Its associated company CoCo ICHIBANYA (Ichibanya Co., Ltd.) or KOKOICHI has more than 1,200 restaurants in Japan. CoCo ICHIBANYA has branches in Hawaii, China, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.http://www.ichibanya.co.jp/english/index.html, in 2010 opening a restaurant in Kowloon
.
, which is sticky and round, is preferred, rather than the medium grain variety used in Indian and Chinese
dishes. It is usually eaten with a spoon
, as opposed to chopsticks
, because of the liquid nature of the curry, and is usually served garnished with vegetables pickled
in vinegar
such as Fukujinzuke
or Rakkyo
.
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is commonly served in three main forms: , karē udon
Udon
is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle of Japanese cuisine.Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in its simplest form as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru which is made of dashi, soy sauce , and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions...
(thick noodles) and karē-pan
Curry bread
Curry bread , also called curry doughnut, is a popular Japanese food. An amount of Japanese curry is wrapped in a piece of dough, and the dough breaded in panko, and deep fried. On occasion it is baked instead of deep fried, but deep frying is the most common method of cooking...
(bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
). Curry rice is most commonly referred to simply as .
A wide variety of vegetables and meats are used to make Japanese curry. The basic vegetables are onions, carrots, and potatoes. For the meat, beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
, chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
are the most popular. Katsu-karē is a breaded deep-fried pork cutlet
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
with curry sauce.
Curry was introduced to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the Meiji era (1868–1912) by the British, at a time when India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
was under the administration
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The dish became popular and available for purchase in supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s. It has been adapted since its introduction to Japan, and is so widely consumed that it can be called a national dish
National dish
A national dish is a dish, food or a drink that is considered to represent a particular country, nation or region.A dish can become a national dish for a variety of reasons. It can be the national dish because it is a staple daily food for the majority of the population. It can also be the national...
.
Overview
As curry rice was introduced to Japan via English cuisine, it was originally considered to be Western cuisine. This Western-style curry currently co-exists alongside Indian-style curry, which has become popular since the increase in Indian restaurants in the 1990s. A third style that combines these two, , is also available. Western-style curry draws its influence from stews mixed with curry powder, which were popular amongst the British NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
adopted curry from the British Navy, and now the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
's Friday menu is curry rice.
In the Kansai region, beef curry is most common, while in the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
pork curry is most popular. This contrasts with South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n curries where, due to the strong influence of Hinduism and Islam, vegetarian, chicken and lamb curries are most common.
Sauce mixes
is served on top of cooked rice to make curry rice. Curry sauce is made by frying together curry powderCurry powder
Curry powder is a mixture of spices of widely varying composition based on South Asian cuisine. Curry powder, and the contemporary English use of the word curry are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific Indian food, though a similar mixture of spices used in north India is called...
, flour and oil, along with other ingredients, to make ; the roux is then added to stewed meat and vegetables, and then simmered until thickened. Adding potatoes to curry sauce was introduced by William S. Clark
William S. Clark
William Smith Clark was a professor of chemistry, botany and zoology, a colonel during the American Civil War, and a leader in agricultural education. Raised and schooled in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Clark spent most of his adult life in Amherst, Massachusetts...
of the Sapporo Agricultural College
Sapporo Agricultural College
was a school in Sapporo established in the purpose of education of student who would pioneer Hokkaidō by Kaitakushi, the local government of Hokkaidō in those days...
, due to rice shortages at the time.
In Japanese homes, curry sauce is most commonly made from instant curry roux, which is available in block and powder forms, and contains curry powder, flour, oils and various flavourings. Ease of preparation, and the wide variety and availability of instant curry mixes, has made curry rice very popular, as it is very easy to make compared to many other Japanese dishes
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
. Pre-made curry is available in vacuum-sealed bags that can be reheated in boiling water.
Instant curry roux was first sold in powder form by House Foods
House Foods
is one of Japan's largest food manufacturers and brands. It began in 1913 in Osaka as Urakami Shoten, and began selling curry in 1926.It is listed on Section 1 of both Tokyo and Osaka Stock Exchanges, symbol 2810. It is headquartered in Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan.House Foods is well known for its...
in 1926, and in block form by S&B Foods in 1956. In financial 2007, Japanese domestic shipments of instant curry roux was 827 billion yen. Market share for household use in 2007 was captured almost entirely by House Foods (59.0%), S&B Foods (25.8%) and Ezaki Glico (9.4%).
Vacuum-sealed curry sauce, prepared by heating the pouch in hot water or the microwave, is also popular. As of financial 2007, curry sauce is the largest single category of vacuum-sealed foods in Japan, making up over 30% of sales.
Sides
Curry rice is usually served by itself, or with fukujinzukeFukujinzuke
is one of the most popular kinds of pickles in Japanese cuisine, commonly used as a relish for Japanese curry. In fukujinzuke, vegetables including daikon, eggplant, lotus root and cucumber are finely chopped, then pickled in a base that is flavored with soy sauce. The end result has a crunchy...
or rakkyō on the side. Bok choi, raisins, pickles or nuts are also used.
Other varieties
: curry rice served with a breaded pork cutlet on top.: curry-flavored fried rice, or curry rice with a drier, mince meat curry sauce.: curry rice, served with the sauce and rice already mixed. Popularized by the curry restaurants in Osaka.: curry sauce, thickened and flavored with mentsuyu or hondashi and served on top of a bowl of rice, to give the curry a Japanese flavor.: rice served with curry sauce and hayashi sauceHayashi rice
Hashed beef rice or Hayashi rice is a dish popular in Japan as a Western-style dish. It usually contains beef, onions, and button mushrooms, in a thick demi-glace sauce which often contains red wine and tomato sauce. This sauce is served atop or alongside steamed rice. The sauce is sometimes...
(fried beef and onion, cooked with red wine and demi-glace).: curry rice, topped with a raw egg and baked in an oven. Originally from Kitakyushu.: curry sauce with rice served in a heated stone bowl, in a similar way to dolsot bibimbap. or soup curry: a watery, broth-like curry sauce served with chunky ingredients such as a chicken leg and coarsely-cut vegetables. Popular in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
.
Local curries
In the late 1990s, a number of regional specialty curries emerged, popularised as vacuum-sealed curry sauces. These include: from HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
from Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
from Chiba
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
from Nagano
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
and Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
from Aichi
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
from Mie
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
from Wakayama
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
from Hiroshima
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
from Shimane
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
from Kagoshima
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
from Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
The number of varieties continues to grow, each made from a certain region's particular specialty ingredients. It is thought that the wide availability online of information on each new variety has helped fuel this boom.
Local curries are also being marketed to help boost tourism. Some varieties of this include , sold in Yokusuka to promote its heritage as a naval base; in Tsuchiura to promote the Zeppelin landing in 1929.
Events
Every year on 25 September, the in Hibiya Park holds a famous 10-yen curry buffet for charity, to commemorate the re-opening of the restaurant in 1973 after it was burnt down during demonstrations in 1971 against the return of Okinawa to Japan by the United States.South Korea
Curry was introduced to South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
during the colonial period
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
, and is popular there. It is often found at bunsik
Bunsik
Bunsik is a generic term used to refer to inexpensive Korean dishes available at bunsikjeom or bunsikjip snack restaurants. Since the term bunsik literally means "food made from flour," foods such as ramyeon and bread can be considered bunsik...
restaurants (diner-style establishments), donkkaseu
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
-oriented restaurants, and at the majority of Japanese restaurants. Premade curry and powdered mixes are also readily available in supermarkets.
Elsewhere
Mixes can be found outside Japan and Korea in supermarketSupermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s that have a Japanese section or in Japanese or Asian food stores
Asian supermarket
An Asian supermarket, sometimes called an "Oriental supermarket", is a grocery store in non-Asian countries that stocks items imported from the many countries in East and Southeast Asia. They carry items and ingredients generally well-suited for Asian cuisines and not found in most Western...
. Amongst the most common brands sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are Vermont Curry, made by House Foods Corporation, and Golden Curry, made by S&B Foods Inc.
The largest Japanese curry company in Japan is House Foods Corporation. The company operates more than 10 Curry House Restaurants in USA. Its associated company CoCo ICHIBANYA (Ichibanya Co., Ltd.) or KOKOICHI has more than 1,200 restaurants in Japan. CoCo ICHIBANYA has branches in Hawaii, China, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.http://www.ichibanya.co.jp/english/index.html, in 2010 opening a restaurant in Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
.
Serving
Japanese curry rice is served in anything from a flat plate to a soup bowl. The curry is poured over rice in any manner and amount. Japanese short grain riceJapanese rice
Japanese rice, or japonica, is a short-grain variety of rice which is characterized by its unique stickiness and texture. It also comes in a variety called mochigome which is used for making mochi...
, which is sticky and round, is preferred, rather than the medium grain variety used in Indian and Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
dishes. It is usually eaten with a spoon
Spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
, as opposed to chopsticks
Chopsticks
Chopsticks are small, often tapered, sticks used in pairs of equal length as the traditional eating utensils of China and its diaspora, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Northern provinces of Laos, Thailand and Burma. Generally believed to have originated in ancient China, they can also be found in some...
, because of the liquid nature of the curry, and is usually served garnished with vegetables pickled
Tsukemono
are Japanese pickles. They are served with rice as okazu with drinks as an otsumami , as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a course in the kaiseki portion of a Japanese tea ceremony....
in vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
such as Fukujinzuke
Fukujinzuke
is one of the most popular kinds of pickles in Japanese cuisine, commonly used as a relish for Japanese curry. In fukujinzuke, vegetables including daikon, eggplant, lotus root and cucumber are finely chopped, then pickled in a base that is flavored with soy sauce. The end result has a crunchy...
or Rakkyo
Allium chinense
Allium chinense is an edible species of wild onion in the Amaryllis family...
.
See also
- CurryCurryCurry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
- Rice and curryRice and curryRice and curry is a popular dish in Sri Lanka and the Southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.Rice and curry dinner comprises the following:* A large bowl of rice, most often boiled, but frequently fried...
- India–Japan relations