Curry and rice
Curry is one of the most popular dishes in Japan, along with ramen noodles and sushi. Curry originated in India although it has been adapted and become popular around the world, including in England. It is said that the Japanese navy followed the example of the British fleet, where curry was originally eaten because it could be preserved for longer than ordinary stew. The Japanese soldiers brought the curry recipe back to their homes and it spread from there. There are also some other accounts, such as that Doctor Clark, famous for the saying “Boys be ambitious,” brought a curry recipe to Japan.
The Japanese have developed their own unique style of curry
The Japanese have developed their own original style of curry using stir-fried carrots, onions, potatoes and meat mixed with curry roux. In the Taisho era House Food Company started selling powdered curry for household use, while during the Showa era S&B started selling solid curry roux. Using solid roux became the norm for Japanese home cooking.
Retort curry is always available in every household.
Many households probably keep retort pouch curry, which can be easily eaten by one person, as a preserved food. There are about 3,000 kinds of retort pouch curries, including limited local flavors. Supermarkets even have shelves dedicated to retort pouch curries.
Japanese people make curry flavors for various foods.
There are various types of curry available at restaurants, including thick European-style curry, popular soup curry, Indian curry served with naan, Thai curry, and curry ramen ……. Bakeries serve “curry buns,” which are crispy deep-fried dough buns filled with curry. And soba and udon noodle restaurants serve “curry nanban soba” and “curry udon” with Japanese-style broth, each so popular that specialty stores have sprung up.
