Japanese Curry

Though curry has its origins from India, the Europeans first introduced it to Japan in late 19th century during the Meiji Era (1869-1913) as a form of western food. Since then, Japanese curry has taken a form of its own and it is distinctly different from Indian curry. Japanese curry is not as spicy and usually contains a tinge of sweetness not found in other forms of curry. It is cooked like a stew or gravy and usually served with rice. In its own way, Japanese curry is a form of "fusion" curry, where it has its roots in India, influence from France, and modification in Japan.

After its introduction to Japan, this western influenced Indian curry became extremely popular with the locals. Today Japanese curry is one of the staple dishes in Japanese food culture. It is a weekly “must have” for millions of Japanese and only rivaled in popularity by ramen.

In recent years, the Japanese curry trend has taken root in the US west coast, Shanghai, and even Jakarta. While Japanese curry is firmly entrenched as a staple food in Japanese culture, most restaurants outside Japan merely sell it as “one of the offerings” using instant curry powder mixes for a quick fix.

With its slight sweetness and mild spiciness, Japanese curry is ideal for people who do not enjoy hot spicy food (though have created a different spicy level to cater to local taste buds) and is approachable for people of all ages. Since there is no coconut milk in Japanese curry it is also healthier and easier on the stomach compared to other curries.