| ign="center"> | | | | Indian subcontinent, curry rice can almost be |
| Visit Japan and you can see the popularity and | | | | thought of as a sweet curry flavored stew. The |
| volume of curry rice served and eaten in Japan. | | | | sweetness comes from fruit. House Foods |
| Japan serves a dish that actually differs from the | | | | Corporation is the largest curry company in Japan. |
| curry and rice that started on the Indian | | | | One of their most popular brands, Vermont |
| subcontinent, spread throughout South Asia, and | | | | Curry, was launched in 1963. |
| then moved to other parts of the world. If you | | | | S&B Foods, Inc. is another major Japanese curry |
| would like to provide a meal that almost | | | | company. We visited their home page to discover |
| everybody in Japan will eat, curry rice may be | | | | what they call the Japanese curry story. |
| your best option. In Japan, only a limited number | | | | According to S&B, the first Japanese to eat curry |
| of people dislike curry rice. | | | | and rice was Kenjiro Yamakawa when he was |
| Although curry leaves are from the curry tree, a | | | | served curry and rice on a ship while traveling to |
| tree native to India, not all curry contains curry | | | | the United States in 1871. Confusingly, the |
| leaves. When we hear rice and curry, or curry | | | | Japanese curry story tells us that he only ate the |
| and rice, curry does not refer to the curry tree. | | | | rice. We are not sure who actually was the first |
| Curry is thought to come from the Tamil word | | | | Japanese to partake of curry. The S&B story |
| "kari," which refers to gravy or sauce, not spices. | | | | continues, telling us that a curry recipe was |
| Curry uses many different spices that vary | | | | introduced to Japan in 1872. |
| according to the dish and the region. | | | | The Japanese viewed curry as Western since the |
| We visited the Curry Spices Department at | | | | British introduced it to Japan, not the Indians or |
| Wally's Delicatessen and found the following spices | | | | other Asians. Today curry is an inexpensive dish |
| listed: bay leaves, cardamom pods, cayenne | | | | and most curry restaurants are not pricey. In |
| pepper, chilli powder, cinammon sticks, coriander | | | | 1870s Japan, however, curry and rice was |
| powder, cumin powder, curry powder, fennel | | | | expensive. The S&B narrative tells us that the |
| seeds, fenugreek seeds, garam masala, paprika, | | | | cost for curry rice was 800% more than a bowl |
| black peppercorns, turmeric, curry leaves, star | | | | of plain noodles. |
| aniseed, coconut milk, tamarind paste, vegetable | | | | After 1872, curry became increasingly popular in |
| ghee. The British spellings are because Wally's is in | | | | Japan. Japanese chefs altered the recipe, creating |
| England. | | | | the curry that we eat today in Japan. If you live |
| Curry in Japan is served in a number of ways | | | | in the United States and would like to try |
| including curry rice, curry udon, curry bread, curry | | | | Japanese-style curry, you could either find |
| buns, katsu curry, and dry curry. Curry rice is | | | | packaged Japanese curry or you could look for a |
| simply curry served partly over and partly next | | | | Japanese curry restaurant. The Japanese curry |
| to rice in the same shallow bowl. Curry udon is | | | | packages are sold in many Asian grocery stores. |
| curry served over udon, which are thick wheat | | | | Preparing and cooking the curry is just like |
| noodles. Curry bread is bread with curry inside. | | | | preparing and cooking stew. For Japanese curry |
| The last one, curry buns, are just like the pork | | | | restaurants, check the Internet for one near you. |
| buns you can find in Chinese dim sum and other | | | | If you are in California, you could try one of the |
| restaurants. Instead of pork inside, the buns have | | | | 11 Curry House restaurants in California, a |
| curry inside. Katsu curry can use deep fried | | | | restaurant chain owned by House Foods America |
| chicken, but it is usually a deep fried pork cutlet | | | | Corporation. We can't guarantee you will like the |
| on rice with curry poured on top of it and next to | | | | curry, but having Japanese curry may be a |
| it. The word "katsu" comes from cutlet. Dry curry | | | | pleasant experience. |
| is just what it sounds like- curry without all the | | | | Aaron Language Services is on the web at |
| sauce. Dry curry is served over rice too. | | | | We provide English to Japanese translation, English |
| Returning to the difference between curry rice | | | | editing, and online English coaching to a primarily |
| served in Japan and the rice and curry from the | | | | Japanese client base. |