Japanese Curry: Unique, Delicious, Super Popular Soul Food

Apr 29, 2024

Elizabeth Andoh, a seasoned food writer and cooking instructor based in Tokyo, shares her deep knowledge of Japanese curry. She reveals the fascinating evolution of this beloved dish since its introduction in the Meiji era. Listeners will discover the unique characteristics that set Japanese curry apart from other global varieties, including its sweet flavors and comfort food status. Elizabeth also discusses popular brands, accessible recipes, and personal anecdotes that highlight the dish's cultural significance in Japan.

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

Journey Through Japanese Cuisine: A Personal Exploration

04:00 • 2min

The Evolution of Japanese Curry

05:41 • 19min

Exploring the Sweet and Savory Nuances of Japanese Curry

24:30 • 4min

The Essence of Japanese Curry

28:58 • 12min

Exploring the Popularity and Accessibility of Japanese Curry

40:53 • 3min

Exploring Japanese Curry Essentials

43:37 • 6min

Exploring Japanese Cuisine: Insights and Resources

49:12 • 4min

Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 13 times and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions.”

Today’s topic is Japanese curry. Curry is a universally popular dish, but like many other things, Japanese people remodeled the original and created a unique style of their own. Now, Japanese people eat Japanese-style curry as often as every 5 days, and the sales of all curry products totals 100 billion Japanese yen, or 660 million US dollars, annually.

In this episode, we will discuss when and how Japanese people created their distinctively unique style of curry, the difference between Japanese and other styles of curry in the world, how to make a perfect Japanese curry dish at home, and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed.

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including:

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

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