Japanese curry

Early Japanese curry , 1872 Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912). At the time, the Indian subcontinent was under British colonial rule. It is most likely that the British introduced the spice mix called curry powder to Japan via the countries' respective navies. It was classified as (Western style food) since it came from the West. By the 1870s, curry began to be served in Japan. Curry is commonly eaten as a rice dish in Japan, (curry rice). The oldest Japanese mention of a dish called (literally 'rice curry')—but as the misspelt —is in cookbooks from 1872. For 1873, there was a dish called curry rice on the menu of the Imperial Japanese Army Military Academy. Since its introduction it was reinvented with ingredients from Japanese cuisine to make it suitable for Japanese tastes. In the 1920s, the predecessors of today's well-known S&B Foods and House Foods began selling powdered curry powder. The first curry bread () was introduced in 1927, Popularization as home cooking In 1945, Oriental Co Ltd developed a powdered instant curry roux, 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. 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. By 2000, curry was a more frequent meal than sushi or tempura. Curry similar to that served in the Indian subcontinent is known as curry. It was introduced to Japan by Rash Behari Bose (1886–1945) when he began to sell curry at , a bakery in Tokyo. ==Sauce mixes==

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; the roux is then added to stewed meat and vegetables, and then simmered until thickened. Pressure cooking can be used as well. 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 other Japanese dishes. Pre-made curry is available in retort 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. Instant curry roux was first sold in powder form in 1945 Market share for household use in 2007 was captured almost entirely by House Foods (59.0%), S&B Foods (25.8%) and Ezaki Glico (9.4%). Curry is marketed to children utilizing characters from video games and anime. Retort pouch curry sauce, prepared by heating the retort 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. ==Serving==

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 in Indian dishes. It is usually eaten with a spoon, as opposed to chopsticks, because of the liquid nature of the curry. Curry rice is usually served with fukujinzuke or rakkyō on the side. ==Local curry styles==

In the late 1990s, a number of regional specialty curries emerged, popularised as vacuum-sealed curry sauces. Varieties include , sold in Yokosuka to promote its heritage as a naval base, and in Tsuchiura to promote the Zeppelin landing in 1929. == Navy curry ==

Navy curry (, ) refers to the curry developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), and continued today by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). It is also called Yokosuka Curry due to the Navy's long association with Yokosuka, and Kaiho Curry () when made by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). It is hypothesized that curry became popular in Japan because the British Royal Navy, which the IJN was modeled after, served it aboard their own ships, Regardless of who introduced it first, curry was a quick and easy source of thiamine (vitamin B1), needed to prevent the malnutrition condition beriberi. 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. 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's galley unofficially competing against each other to see who can develop the best recipe. A Navy curry of beef or chicken meat, potatoes, onions, carrots, curry roux, rice, and a chutney of pickled vegetables (fukujinzuke) is described in the 1888 cookbook ., while a recipe credited to the now decommissioned Yaeyama-class minesweeper JS Hachijō (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. The cities of Yokosuka and Kure host annual "Curry Festivals" inviting various ships in port and local restaurants to showcase their recipes for Navy Curry, and even the US Navy Base mess at Fleet Activities Yokosuka has created and sells its own version of Navy Curry. == Spice curry ==

Spice curry (スパイスカレー, Supaisu karē) is a Japanese curry dish that originated in Osaka in the 2000s. Unlike traditional Japanese curry, it uses a wide variety of spices. Inspired by South Asian cuisine, it also incorporates Japanese elements such as dashi and often features side dishes served on the same plate. The dish gained widespread popularity around 2013. The popularity of spice curry has increased rapidly since 2016. ==Outside Japan==

South Korea Curry was introduced to South Korea during the period of Japanese rule, and is popular there. It is often found at bunsik 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. North Korea Japanese curry was introduced to North Korea by Zainichi Koreans who migrated from Japan during the 1960s–1970s repatriation project. Along with other Japanese cuisine, it was traded by new arrivals for local products and used to bribe Workers' Party cadres. The largest Japanese curry company in Japan is House Foods Corporation. The company operated more than 10 Curry 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. House Foods associated company CoCo Ichibanya (Ichibanya Co., Ltd.) or Kokoichi has more than 1,200 restaurants in Japan. CoCo Ichibanya has branches in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States (more specifically Hawaii and California), and India. Due to the rapid rise in popularity of katsu 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 the katsu (cutlet) itself is not included. ==See also==