Japanese curry
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This article is a translation-work in progress of the カレーライス article from Japanese to English. If you are confident enough in your competence of Japanese and English, you can help Wikipedia by assisting in the translation. |
Curry (カレー karē) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is commonly served in three main forms: curry rice (カレーライス karē raisu), karē udon (thick noodles) and karē-pan (bread. Curry rice is most commonly referred to simply as 'curry' (カレー karē).
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 and sometimes duck are the most popular, in order of decreasing popularity. Katsu-karē is a breaded deep-fried pork cutlet with curry sauce.
Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1869 - 1913), 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[1].
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[edit] 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, original curry (オリジナルカレー orijinaru karē), is also available. Western-style curry draws its influence from stews mixed with curry powder, which were popular amongst the British Navy.
In the Kansai region, beef curry is most common, while in the Kantō region pork curry is most popular. This contrasts with South Asian curries where, due to the strong influence of Hinduism and Islam, vegetarian, chicken and lamb curries are most common.
In his book The Joys of Bukkake Rice (ぶっかけめしの悦楽 Bukkake-meshi no etsuraku), author 遠藤哲夫 (Tetsu Endō) argued that curry rice's popularity in Japan is because it is in fact a descendant of bukkake-meshi, a traditional Japanese dish.
[edit] Sauce mixes
Curry sauce (カレーソース karē sōsu) is served on top of cooked rice to make curry rice. Curry sauce is made by frying together curry powder, flour and oil, along with other ingredients, to make roux (ルー rū); 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.
While curry roux and curry sauce are strictly speaking not the same, many people do not distinguish between the two, and it is common for people to ask for 'extra roux' (ルー増し rū mashi) when ordering extra curry sauce in restaurants.
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 2004, Japanese domestic shipments of instant curry roux for household use was 676 billion yen[citation needed]. Market share was captured almost entirely by House Foods (61%), S&B Foods (28%) and Ezaki Glico (10%)[citation needed]. also has some popularity.
Vacuum-sealed curry sauce, prepared by heating the 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.[citation needed]
[edit] Sides
Curry rice is usually served by itself, or with fukujinzuke or rakkyō on the side. Bok choi, raisins, pickles or nuts are also used.
[edit] Other varieties
- katsu karē (カツカレー?): curry rice served with a pork cutlet on top.
- dorai karē (ドライカレー?): curry-flavored fried rice, or curry rice with a drier, mince meat curry sauce.
- maze karē (混ぜカレー?): curry rice, served with the sauce and rice already mixed. Popularized by the 自由軒 (Jiyūken) curry restaurants in Osaka.
- karē don (カレー丼?): curry sauce, thickened and flavored with mentsuyu or kondashi and served on top of a bowl of rice, to give the curry a Japanese flavor.
- aigake (合がけ?): rice served with curry sauce and hayashi sauce (fried beef and onion, cooked with red wine and demi-glace).
- yaki karē (焼きカレー?): curry rice, topped with a raw egg and baked in an oven. Originally from Kitakyushu.
- ishiyaki karē (石焼きカレー?): curry sauce with rice served in a heated stone bowl, in a similar way to dolsot bibimbap.
- sūpu karē (スープカレー?) 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.
[edit] Local curries
In the late 1990s, a number of regional specialty curries emerged, popularised as vacuum-sealed curry sauces. These include:
- sika deer curry (えぞ鹿カレー ezoshika karē) from Hokkaidō
- scallop curry (ほたてカレー hotate karē) from Aomori
- mackerel curry (サバカレー saba karē) from Chiba
- apple curry (リンゴカレー ringo karē) from Nagano
- Nagoya cochin chicken curry (名古屋コーチンチキンカレー Nagoya kōchin chikin karē) from Aichi
- Matsusaka beef curry (松阪牛カレー Matsusaka gyū karē) from Mie
- oyster curry (牡蠣カレー kaki karē) from Hiroshima
- nashi pear curry (梨カレー nashi karē) from Shimane
- bitter melon curry (ゴーヤーカレー gōyā karē) from Okinawa
The number of varieties continues to grow, each made from a certain region's particular speciality 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 Yokusuka navy curry (よこすか海軍カレー Yokosuka kaigun karē), sold in Yokusuka to promote its heritage as a naval base; Zeppelin Curry (ツェッペリンカレー Tsepperin Karē) in Tsuchiura to promote the Zeppelin landing in 1929.
[edit] Events
Every year on 25 September, the Matsumoto Restaurant (松本楼 Matsumotorō) 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.
[edit] Outside Japan
Mixes can be found outside Japan in supermarkets 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.[citation needed]
The largest Japanese curry company in Japan is House Foods Corporation. The company operates more than 10 Curry House Restaurants in USA. In Japan, the company has a subsidiary company called KOKO ICHIBANYA which has more than 1100 restaurants in Japan. KOKO ICHIBANYA is now expanding its business in China, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.
[edit] From scratch
The main differences from other curries is that Japanese curry is thickened with a roux and is sweeter due to the addition of fruit such as apples. While slightly more time consuming than using a sauce mix, preparing it from scratch is a fairly simple process similar to making gravy.
[edit] Preparation
Japanese curry rice is made from rice, curry sauce, vegetables and meat.
The process of making the curry starts with sautéeing chopped vegetables and meat in oil, margarine, or butter. Once the meat has been browned and the onions softened, water is added and brought to a boil. The ingredients are then simmered under low heat for about 20 minutes (as per instructions on roux boxes) or much longer if more tender meat is desired or if stewing meat is being use. Cooking time can be quartered by using a pressure cooker. Finally, the curry mix is added and stirred frequently for about five minutes to dissolve. The curry is then ready to be served.
[edit] Serving
Japanese curry rice is served in anything from a flat plate to a soup bowl. The curry is poured over rice in any matter and amount. Japanese short grain rice, 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.
[edit] Gallery
 Typical curry rice |
 Karē-pan (curry bread) |
 Soup curry, a local dish in Hokkaidō |
[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Japanese curry |
[edit] Notes
- ^ "『カレーライス』に関するアンケート". ネットリサーチ ディムスドライブ. http://www.dims.ne.jp/timelyresearch/2008/081014/. Retrieved on 2008-10-16.
