You may have had an Anglo version of the dish, but egg curry is Indian and has been a part of various regional cuisines. Anglo dishes use a lot more vinegar than in traditional indian cooking.
Fascinating! I love learning about how foods assimilate and travel. My mom’s family were very culturally British Americans so she would always make this dish, Captains Chicken, which was like a tomato stew with chicken and currants and curry spice. I don’t know the history but I’ve always figured it has its roots in British colonial India, in a way probably similar to Japanese curry
The curry in Nakamuraya cafe is delicious and they even had veggie versions. In Coco ichi they have low calorie options to swap the rice for cauliflower 😀.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the read! Most Indian restaurants cater to vegetarians as well, hence the influence is visible in Nakamuraya. The rice for cauliflower switch is an innovative one, I don't think it would be common on an Indian menu, but they are catering to the low-carb crowd.
No joke: I'm flying to Tokyo tomorrow morning, and was day dreaming about how I'd go to Coco Ichibanya and order the biggest curry possible as my first meal there... that's when I received the notification for this article!
Thank you so much for this, I had no idea my beloved japanese curry had a history as rich as its taste.
When I'm in Tokyo, I'll enjoy my Coco Ichibanya curry even more thanks to you.
I'm embarrassed to admit how little I know about 'curry'. I've always thought that it was derived from some word meaning “mix of spices” in a South Asian language.
It's interesting to learn how curry made its way into Japanese cuisine, and I have to agree that katsu curry is one of the best dishes you can get in Japan. It might seem simple compared to other Japanese dishes, but it's just a perfect combination of flavours.
This is wonderful. I have often wondered how curry got to Japan so I read this with enthusiasm. What a delight to then discover that I had some other touch points in common with this article. As an undergrad I studied modern Japanese history, which started with the Meiji Restoration (at least in that curriculum). So it was delightful to see the Emperor in his splendor. I also happen to love Japanese curry. I discovered you can buy it on amazon here in the us (https://a.co/d/g3a575W - I like it hot). I make a chicken curry at least once a week. When I read "S and B".. I was like "wait a minute, thats the one I use"... it's great they are still in business and doing well.
I have great affection for Japanese culture. I have visited a few times for work and would like to return for pleasure. I would especially like to go skiing in Japan. It is the only country in the world that was exactly as I envisioned it. I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing but it stood out. I like the precision, the detail, the delicate. I like the emphasis on good manners and order. The latter usually has a negative connotation. I don't see it in the sense of machine-like uniformity, but rather in an artistic sense of everything has its place and its time. When I visited we always stayed at the Okura Tokyo opposite the embassy. My first visit was in my early 40s and was surprised that there was a gentleman - older than me - who looked very distinguished like a senior diplomat - whose job it was to greet people at the elevator with an elegant bow and point them in the direction of the breakfast room. There was no where else to go. There was no mistaking where it was. But there he was every day. I thought at first it was demeaning. However, I soon realized he did not find his job demeaning at all. He very obviously was proud to be an ambassador for the hotel. This was an important lesson to me. His dignity and poise personified that artistic sense of order to which I referred above.
Finally on the taste of the curry. I grew up in Australia. I like hot Asian food. Japanese curry, even the "hot" one is not at all hot. It's not spicy nor does it make you sweat. It's everything Japanese - specifically it is delicate. It has such a unique flavor that I dare not add anything to it because everything is in balance and I do not want to disrupt what makes it unique.
Thank you for sharing your culture with the world and I hope I have not offended anyone with my interpretation of how I see this very special country.
Growing up in Delhi, the only curry I knew was egg currry-- which isn't really an Indian dish but probably Anglo-Indian.
In fact, I got confused when I went aboard (Brazil) and people asked me about curry.
You may have had an Anglo version of the dish, but egg curry is Indian and has been a part of various regional cuisines. Anglo dishes use a lot more vinegar than in traditional indian cooking.
Fascinating! I love learning about how foods assimilate and travel. My mom’s family were very culturally British Americans so she would always make this dish, Captains Chicken, which was like a tomato stew with chicken and currants and curry spice. I don’t know the history but I’ve always figured it has its roots in British colonial India, in a way probably similar to Japanese curry
Curry houses sprang up in Britain after the East India Company established a base in India.
The curry in Nakamuraya cafe is delicious and they even had veggie versions. In Coco ichi they have low calorie options to swap the rice for cauliflower 😀.
Great read, I enjoyed reading this!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the read! Most Indian restaurants cater to vegetarians as well, hence the influence is visible in Nakamuraya. The rice for cauliflower switch is an innovative one, I don't think it would be common on an Indian menu, but they are catering to the low-carb crowd.
No joke: I'm flying to Tokyo tomorrow morning, and was day dreaming about how I'd go to Coco Ichibanya and order the biggest curry possible as my first meal there... that's when I received the notification for this article!
Thank you so much for this, I had no idea my beloved japanese curry had a history as rich as its taste.
When I'm in Tokyo, I'll enjoy my Coco Ichibanya curry even more thanks to you.
I'm glad I could provide some background! Have a great trip and enjoy your stay in Japan.
I love curry. Experimenting by adding new ingredients and spices is a lot of fun.
My wife loves soup curry. Her favorite spot is in Kichijoji.
The exciting story of curry's travel to Japan. Really interesting.
I'm embarrassed to admit how little I know about 'curry'. I've always thought that it was derived from some word meaning “mix of spices” in a South Asian language.
It's interesting to learn how curry made its way into Japanese cuisine, and I have to agree that katsu curry is one of the best dishes you can get in Japan. It might seem simple compared to other Japanese dishes, but it's just a perfect combination of flavours.
Curry is one of my favorite flavorings, I eat something (usually seafood) with a curry sauce every single day!
I loved learning so much information about my beloved spice I did not know before.
Thanks Amy! Glad to know that you enjoy seafood as well with curry, I absolutely love it and we have fish 4-5 times a week.
This is wonderful. I have often wondered how curry got to Japan so I read this with enthusiasm. What a delight to then discover that I had some other touch points in common with this article. As an undergrad I studied modern Japanese history, which started with the Meiji Restoration (at least in that curriculum). So it was delightful to see the Emperor in his splendor. I also happen to love Japanese curry. I discovered you can buy it on amazon here in the us (https://a.co/d/g3a575W - I like it hot). I make a chicken curry at least once a week. When I read "S and B".. I was like "wait a minute, thats the one I use"... it's great they are still in business and doing well.
I have great affection for Japanese culture. I have visited a few times for work and would like to return for pleasure. I would especially like to go skiing in Japan. It is the only country in the world that was exactly as I envisioned it. I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing but it stood out. I like the precision, the detail, the delicate. I like the emphasis on good manners and order. The latter usually has a negative connotation. I don't see it in the sense of machine-like uniformity, but rather in an artistic sense of everything has its place and its time. When I visited we always stayed at the Okura Tokyo opposite the embassy. My first visit was in my early 40s and was surprised that there was a gentleman - older than me - who looked very distinguished like a senior diplomat - whose job it was to greet people at the elevator with an elegant bow and point them in the direction of the breakfast room. There was no where else to go. There was no mistaking where it was. But there he was every day. I thought at first it was demeaning. However, I soon realized he did not find his job demeaning at all. He very obviously was proud to be an ambassador for the hotel. This was an important lesson to me. His dignity and poise personified that artistic sense of order to which I referred above.
Finally on the taste of the curry. I grew up in Australia. I like hot Asian food. Japanese curry, even the "hot" one is not at all hot. It's not spicy nor does it make you sweat. It's everything Japanese - specifically it is delicate. It has such a unique flavor that I dare not add anything to it because everything is in balance and I do not want to disrupt what makes it unique.
Thank you for sharing your culture with the world and I hope I have not offended anyone with my interpretation of how I see this very special country.