 A plate of Japanese-style curry with rice | |
| Type | Curry |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Vegetables (onions, carrots, potatoes), meat (beef, pork, chicken) |
| Variations | Karē raisu, karēudon, karē-pan |
Japanese curry (カレー,karē) is commonly served in three main forms: curry rice (カレーライス,karē raisu) (curry overwhite rice), curryudon (カレーうどん,karē udon) (curry over thick noodles), andcurry bread (カレーパン,karē pan) (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most populardishes in Japan.[1] The very common curry rice dish is most often referred to simply ascurry (カレー,karē).
Along with the sauce, a wide variety of vegetables and meats are used to make Japanese curry. The basic vegetables are onions, carrots, and potatoes. Beef, pork, and chicken are the most popular meat choices.Katsu curry is abreaded deep-fried cutlet (tonkatsu; usually pork or chicken) with Japanese curry sauce.[2]
Curry originates inIndian cuisine and was introduced to Japan by the British. Since the introduction of curry, it was reinvented to suit Japanese tastes and ingredients. Japanese curry has little resemblance to curries from other regions. The dish has changed and been adapted so much since its introduction that it stands on its own as uniquely Japanese. The combination of sweet, stickyJapanese short-grain rice with a thickened curry sauce has led to the unique evolution of Japanese curry. The dish became popular and available for purchase at supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s. It is so widely consumed that it can be called anational dish.[3][1][4]
Curry was introduced to Japan during theMeiji era (1868–1912).[citation needed] At the time, theIndian subcontinent was underBritish colonial rule. It is most likely that the British introduced the spice mix called curry powder to Japan[3] via the countries' respective navies.[5] It was classified asyōshoku (Western style food) since it came from the West.[3] The wordcurry was probably adopted into theJapanese language askarē in the late 1860s, when Japan was forced to abandon its isolationistsakoku policy and came into direct contact with Western nations.[6] By the 1870s, curry began to be served in Japan.[7]
Curry is commonly eaten as arice dish in Japan,karē raisu (curry rice). The oldest Japanese mention of a dish calledraisu karē (literally 'rice curry')—but as the misspelttaisu karē—is in cookbooks from 1872.[3] It was also described in an 1872 report, according to whichforeign experts ate this at the Tokyo branch of theHokkaidō prefectural government. However, the word was popularized by American professorWilliam S. Clark who was employed at theSapporo Agricultural College (nowHokkaido University) in 1877.[8][9] For 1873, there was a dish called curry rice on the menu of theImperial Japanese Army Military Academy.[10]
During the Meiji era (1868–1912), curry was still perceived in the private sector as a luxury cuisine for the wealthy, available only in high-endyōshoku specialty restaurants.[3][11] Since its introduction it was reinvented with ingredients fromJapanese cuisine to make it suitable for Japanese tastes.[3]
In 1905, the dish became affordable for the general population with the introduction of domestically producedcurry powder.[10] In the 1920s, the predecessors of today's well-knownS&B Foods andHouse Foods began selling powdered curry powder.[3]
In the early 1900s, restaurants created various derivatives of curry rice. The first curryudon and currysoba were made in Tokyo or Osaka in 1904 or 1909. Curry udon and curry soba are made by soakingkatsuobushi (driedbonito flakes) in boiling water to dissolve theumami components, adding curry to the broth, and then addingpotato starch to thicken the broth and pour it over the udon or soba.[12]
The firstcurry bread (karē pan) was introduced in 1927,[10] and the firstkatsu curry in 1918 or 1921 or 1948.[13][14][15]
In 1945, Oriental Co Ltd developed a powdered instant curryroux,[16] and in 1950, Bell Shokuhin Co Ltd developed a block-shaped instant curry roux, and Japanese curry quickly spread throughout Japan as a dish that could be easily prepared at home.[17][10] In 1948, Japanese curry was used inschool meals for the first time.[10]
In 1963,House Foods introduced "Vermont Curry" (バーモントカレー), an instant curry roux made with apples and honey, which exploded in popularity. This product brought a mild sweetness to Japanese curry, which had been perceived as a spicy, adult dish, and made Japanese curry one of children's favorite dishes.[10][3]
In 1968 (or 1969[3]), Otsuka Foods Company became the first company in the world to commercialize aretort pouch food product. The product was a Japanese curry called "Bon Curry" (ボンカレー). Curry became a food that could be stored for long periods of time and, likeinstant noodles, could be eaten in three minutes with boiling water.[18][19] Since detailed technical information on the retort pouch, which was a military technology, was not publicly available, Otsuka Foods Company developed it in cooperation with a Group company that developed intravenous drugs using high-temperature sterilization technology.[19]
Today, curry is one of the most popular daily dishes in Japan. In 2013, production totaled 7,570 tons of curry powder and 91,105 tons of ready-made sauces; sales in 2008 amounted to 7 billion yen for curry powder and 86 billion yen for ready-made sauces.[20] By 2000, curry was a more frequent meal thansushi ortempura.[21]
Curry similar to that served in the Indian subcontinent is known asNakamura-ya curry. It was introduced to Japan byRash Behari Bose (1886–1945) when he began to sell curry atNakamura-ya [ja], a bakery in Tokyo.[22]
Curry sauce (カレーソース,karē sōsu) is served on top of cooked rice to make curry rice.[23] Curry sauce is made by frying together curry powder, flour, and oil, along with other ingredients, to makeroux; the roux is then added to stewed meat and vegetables, and then simmered until thickened.[24] Pressure cooking can be used as well.[23] Adding potatoes to curry sauce was introduced by William S. Clark due to rice shortages at the time.[25]
In Japanese homes, curry sauce is most commonly made from instant curry roux, which is available in block and powder forms. These contain curry powder, flour, oils, and various flavorings. Ease of preparation, variety, and availability of instant curry mixes made curry rice very popular, as it is very easy to make compared to many otherJapanese dishes. Pre-made curry is available inretort pouches that can be reheated in boiling water. For those who make curry roux from scratch, there are also curry powders specially formulated to create the "Japanese curry" taste.[26]
Instant curry roux was first sold in powder form in 1945[16] and in block form in 1950.[10] In 2007, Japanese domestic shipments of instant curry roux was 82.7 billion yen.[27] Market share for household use in 2007 was captured almost entirely by House Foods (59.0%), S&B Foods (25.8%) andEzaki Glico (9.4%).[28][29] Curry is marketed to children utilizing characters from video games andanime.[30]
Retort pouch curry sauce, prepared by heating theretort pouch in hot water or the microwave, is also popular. As of 2007, curry sauce is the largest single category of vacuum-sealed foods in Japan, making up over 30% of sales.[27]
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 rice, which is sticky and round, is preferred, rather than the medium-grain variety used inIndian dishes. It is usually eaten with a spoon, as opposed tochopsticks, because of the liquid nature of the curry. Curry rice is usually served withfukujinzuke orrakkyō on the side.[31]
In the late 1990s, a number of regional specialty curries emerged, popularised as vacuum-sealed curry sauces. These include:
Local curries are also marketed to help boost tourism. Some varieties of this include Yokosuka navy curry (よこすか海軍カレー,Yokosuka kaigun karē), sold in Yokosuka to promote its heritage as a naval base(see below),[32] and Zeppelin Curry (ツェッペリンカレー,Tsepperin Karē) in Tsuchiura to promote the Zeppelin landing in 1929.[33]
Navy curry (海軍カレー,kaigun karē) refers to the curry developed by theImperial Japanese Navy (IJN), and continued today by theJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). It is also calledYokosuka Curry due to the Navy's long association withYokosuka, andKaiho Curry (海保カレー) when made by theJapan Coast Guard (JCG).[34][35][36]
It is hypothesized that curry became popular in Japan because theBritish Royal Navy, which the IJN was modeled after, served it aboard their own ships,[37] or because it was on the menu of the Imperial Japanese Army's mess hall.[21] On the other hand, Naoshi Takamori, a naval culinary researcher and former JMSDF officer, points out that although Japanese military manuals from the 1880s include instructions for making curry, curry did not become common in the Imperial Japanese Navy until the 1920s, during theShowa era. According to him, curry did not spread from the Japanese military to the Japanese civilian sector, but was adopted by the Japanese military from the civilian sector.[37]
Regardless of who introduced it first, curry was a quick and easy source of thiamine (vitamin B1), needed to prevent the malnutrition conditionberiberi. Beriberi is a condition prevalent on long sea voyages where access to fresh vegetables can be difficult, and curry became a weekly staple aboard IJN ships to combat its effects.[38][39]
Curry is also easy to make in large quantities, and its popularity in Japan prompted JMSDF and JCG to continue the IJN tradition of making curry for its sailors every Friday, with every ship'sgalley unofficially competing against each other to see who can develop the best recipe.[35][36][40]
A "Navy curry" ofbeef or chicken meat,potatoes,onions,carrots, curryroux,rice, and a chutney of pickled vegetables (fukujinzuke) is described in the 1888 cookbookKaigun kappōjitsu (海軍割烹術, 'Navy Cooking Methods').[41][42][43], while a recipe credited to the now decommissioned Yaeyama-class minesweeperJSHachijō (MSO-303), was featured in Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat's 2013 book,Japanese Soul Cooking, and continues to be quoted by other chefs as a favorite curry today.[11][44]
Ready-made curry manufacturers, Yachiyo and Chomi Shoji, joined together in 2017 to produce a set of commercially available"JMSDF Curry", based on the recipes of 8 ships, including that ofHachijō.[45][46]
Curry was introduced toSouth Korea duringthe period of Japanese rule, and is popular there. It is often found atbunsik restaurants (diner-style establishments),donkkaseu-oriented restaurants, and at the majority of Japanese restaurants. Premade curry and powdered mixes are also readily available at supermarkets.[citation needed]
Japanese curry was introduced to North Korea byZainichi Koreans who migrated from Japan during the1960s–1970s repatriation project.[47] Along with other Japanese cuisine, it was traded by new arrivals for local products and used to bribeWorkers' Party cadres.[47]
Mixes can be found outside Japan and Korea in supermarkets that have a Japanese section or in Japanese orAsian food stores. Mixes are also available from retailers online.[48]
The largest Japanese curry company in Japan is House Foods Corporation. The company operated more than 10Curry House restaurants in the US until mid-2019 when it sold off its interest to CH Acquisitions LLC, which abruptly closed the restaurants in February 2020.[49] House Foods associated company CoCo Ichibanya (Ichibanya Co., Ltd.) or Kokoichi has more than 1,200 restaurants in Japan. CoCo Ichibanya has branches inChina,Hong Kong,Korea,Singapore,Taiwan,Indonesia,Philippines,Thailand,United Kingdom,United States (more specificallyHawaii andCalifornia), andIndia.[50]
Due to the rapid rise in popularity ofkatsu curry in the United Kingdom, other varieties of Japanese curry and curry sauce are sometimes erroneously referred to as "katsu curry" and "katsu sauce", even in cases where thekatsu (cutlet) itself is not included.[51]
Media related toJapanese curry at Wikimedia Commons| Shushoku |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okazu | |||||||||
| Soup (shirumono) | |||||||||
| Set menu | |||||||||
| Beverages |
| ||||||||
| Snacks,sweets, andwagashi | |||||||||
| Fruit | |||||||||
| Ingredients and condiments | |||||||||
| Utensils | |||||||||
| Lists | |||||||||
| Related | |||||||||
