Delectable Japanese Curry

Curry or karē is a favorite dish in Japan and is so popular it is even sometimes called Japan’s national dish! Curry has its origins in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a complex combination of herbs and spices. It is usually served over rice, udon noodles, or bread. Several varieties of vegetables and meats are used to make Japanese curry. Curry is the perfect comfort food for winter. It’s rich and hearty, packed with flavor and satisfyingly delicious.

Curry rice

Curry being introduced to Japan

Curry was initially introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912). India at the time was still under British colonial rule. Anglo-Indian officers from the Royal Navy brought the curry spice mix powder to Japan when the Sakoku years ended. Since the spice mix was thought of as Western food (yōshoku), the word curry is believed to have been adapted into the Japanese language as karē.

The earliest mention of curry in Japanese cookbooks of 1872 where raisu karē (rice curry) was included but was misspelled as taisu karē. The term was popularized by US-Professor William S. Clark from the Sapporo Agricultural College (currently University of Hokkaido) in 1877. Foreign experts who often ate at the Tokyo branch of the Hokkaido prefectural government particularly enjoyed the dish. The Imperial Japanese Army Military Academy in 1873 also had a similar dish named kare raisu (curry rice) on their weekly menu. Since it was introduced to the country, curry has been tweaked and reinvented to suit Japanese tastes and is today known as Japanese curry.

Curry as comfort food

Japanese curry is a quintessential dish for the cold season. The sauce is often rich and flavorful, it includes carrots, potatoes and chunks of meat. It is the perfect comfort food for the winter months. Japanese curry is satisfying and delicious not just for the cold months but all year round!

Check out some Japanese curry variations to enjoy:

Curry rice – is often served in Japanese schools and company cafeterias. The main ingredients vary depending on the region. Curry rice is usually eaten with pickled ginger among other picked vegetables.

Katsu curry

Katsu curry – katsu refers to a cutlet and often in Tokyo, pork is breaded and deep fried and served topped with curry sauce over rice. In Kansai, beef cutlet is used for the dish.

Curry pan – or curry rolls are crusted bread buns filled with curry filling. It is usually deep fried creating a crispy outer layer and fluffy inside. Curry pan is a popular snack and  ingredients vary depending on the area.

Curry udon – the curry variant udon is usually made from the same seafood stock for the base broth  and soy sauce, which adds a slightly different flavor. The curry broth for udon is also thinner than the sauce used for rice.