" Kare-raisu “is a favorite menu that has been around for generations.

“Kare-raisu” or rice with curry in English, is a dish in which the curry is hung on cooked rice. In Japanese, it is often abbreviated as “kare” and is very popular among Japanese people. Born in England based on Indian food, it has uniquely changed in Japan. In recent years, many original style rice curries have evolved exclusively for Japan. Kare-raisu always appears at the top of the rankings of all age groups in the Japanese favorite food search. Therefore, it can be called a “national dish” along with ramen.

Until about 50 years ago, curry rice was a popular dish made by mothers. At the time, curry and rice was undoubtedly the most popular among elementary school students, but hamburger steak and spaghetti later overtook curry and rice in first place. As for the name, some people at the time called it “rice curry” instead of “curry rice.” These days, the term rice curry is no longer heard, and most people refer to it as curry rice, or simply curry. Indians who are familiar with real curry may say that Japanese curry and rice is not real curry. I’m sure there is a big difference in taste between the curry eaten in Japan and India, where it originated. Japanese curry may be similar to stew. In the past, Japanese elementary school lunches often included a dish called curry stew. However, I would like to talk about that another time.

Before commercially available curry roux became commonplace, in Japanese households, mothers would make curry roux by boiling curry powder in a red can about 4 centimeters in height with potato starch and wheat flour. Ingredients include potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat. And the meat was most often pork. Then, one day, a rumor spread that curry might be tastier without potatoes. And for a while, potatoes disappeared from the list of curry ingredients. In the days when people cooked outdoors, curry and rice was a standard menu item. At that time, I used a tablet type curry roux. Then I cut the vegetables, threw them into the pot and boiled them thoroughly.

By the way, there are always side dishes that come with curry and rice. Fukujinzuke and rakkyo. Fukujinzuke is pickled vegetables such as daikon radish, eggplant, nata beans, lotus roots, cucumbers, perilla seeds, and shiitake mushrooms. It is made by soaking it in a seasoning mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Nowadays, Fukujinzuke seems to only appear on the table as an accompaniment to curry and rice. Rakkyo is an edible white or purple scaly bulb. When preserved in salt, sweet vinegar, or soy sauce, it develops a unique strong aroma and sharp taste. Most processed rakkyo foods on the market include mirin vinegar and sugar pickles. Pickled rakkyo gradually became a popular garnish for curry and rice. Nowadays, when you think of pickled rakkyo, everyone thinks of curry and rice.

Let’s also introduce some trivia about Japanese curry and rice. It’s its unique way of eating. Japanese people sometimes eat curry rice with Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. (It may not be that popular now.) Several decades ago, curry and rice occupied a considerable position in restaurants. The tonkatsu and chicken rice competed with the curry rice. I don’t think hamburgers and spaghetti were that popular in the past. Today’s curry and rice, although no longer as popular as it once was, still occupies a certain position and proportion on menus. Deep-fried foods are used as toppings for curry rice in restaurants and curry shops. The basics are pork cutlet, croquette, minced meat, and ham cutlet. In particular, katsu curry (curry rice topped with cutlet) can be found at any restaurant that serves curry rice.

Curry and rice, like ramen, gradually and quietly became indigenous to Japan as soul food. Localization may have started about 50 years ago, when curry roux entered Japanese kitchens. Curry roux is a mixture of not only curry powder but also the essence of various ingredients and seasonings, and is often solid in the form of tablets. If you dissolve this in his hot water, you can make a decent or very delicious curry. When using curry roux, it seems to be best to use it as is without adding any special ingredients. (Of course, curry made with care from curry powder is especially delicious. I think that’s because curry that takes time to prepare tastes better.)

And when talking about Japanese curry, it is essential to mention retort curry, which is prepared curry made with stewed meat and vegetables sealed in a retort pouch. This curry is eaten by heating it in the microwave or hot water. They are sold with the names of famous restaurants or foods that evoke a sense of nostalgia. These curries are very elaborately prepared. One of my male friends told me about how he went on a journey to find a curry that tasted like his mother’s, and what he ended up finding was cheap retort curry.