Overview
Japanese curry (カレー, karē) is a hugely popular dish in Japan. It is widely available at various restaurants, and many households also cook it at home. Since curry is usually served with rice, you will often hear the term "curry rice" (カレーライス, karē raisu).
After curry was imported from India, Europeans invented curry powder so that ordinary people could cook curry without mastering the complexities of spices. This form of curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), and the Japanese adapted the dish to suit their tastes.
What is it?
Typical ingredients in Japanese curry include potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat. The sauce is usually made from curry powder or roux, which is a blend of basic Indian spices. Japanese curry is generally thicker in texture and tastes sweeter but less spicy than its Indian counterpart.
The preferred meat is often pork or beef. Survey results suggest that pork is the most popular meat for curry in eastern Japan, while beef is more common in western Japan.
Popular Variations
A very common variation is katsu kare (カツカレー), which is regular Japanese curry rice topped with a piece of tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet).
Where to Find It
Establishments serving Japanese curry are ubiquitous throughout Japan. There are specialized curry restaurants, often found near train stations and business districts. Family restaurants, tourist cafeterias, and shokudo (Japanese restaurants offering a wide variety of dishes) also typically have Japanese curry on their menus.
How to Eat It
Japanese curry is usually eaten with a large Western-style spoon. It is often accompanied by a garnish of fukujinzuke (a slightly sweet mix of pickles) or rakkyo (pickled Japanese scallion).
Preparing It at Home
The popularity of Japanese curry extends to home cooking. Instant roux and retort packages offer convenient and economical ways to quickly prepare delicious curry meals at home.
When preparing curry with instant roux, vegetables and meat are first cooked in water, then solid chunks of roux are added to the broth. In contrast, retort packages are pre-made curry stew that already contain vegetables and meat; all one has to do is heat the entire package in hot water for a few minutes, and the curry is ready to be served over rice.