Japanese food has become famous all over the world, and most people are familiar with sushi, sashimi, tempura, soba, udon, sukiyaki, etc. When I arrived in Japan, I was pretty surprised that the food the Japanese seem to love best of all isn’t Japanese at all…it’s curry rice. Originally from India, Japan’s version of curry is based on a thicker beef-based variety that was introduced into the country by the British during the Meiji Period. These days curry is made from concentrated blocks of curry powder called “roux” (a French word that Japanese people always expect Americans to know), and the market for these pre-made curry blocks is huge, worth 82 billion yen (US$1 billion) annually. There are some interesting variations on traditional curry, including katsu-curry or curry with a fried pork cutlet on top, curry udon (a delicacy of Nagoya), curry pan (bread with curry baked inside) plus yaki curry, curry rice baked to create a delicious “doria” dish. When I first met my wife’s mother, she made delicious curry rice for me, and I know that the daughter of such a woman would surely be worth marrying. If you want to try making some Japanese-style curry yourself, J-List can help.
The most popular food in Japan is “curry rice.”
