Japanese Curry

Japanese curry is a historical multinational fusion dish that took shape when Indian spices were transformed through their encounter with British stew culture, introduced as a means of preventing beriberi and as combat rations for the Imperial Japanese Navy, and combined with rice to develop into its present distinctive form.

1. The Starting Point: From India to Britain (18th Century)

The direct ancestor of Japanese curry is not traditional Indian cuisine but British-style curry.

• The birth of curry powder: India's diverse spiced dishes were introduced to Britain through the British East India Company, which expanded into India in the 18th century. Instead of preparing complex spice blends each time, the British invented 'curry powder,' a premixed blend adapted to British tastes.

• Transformation into a stew: The British began adding this curry powder to stews made by simmering meat and vegetables, then thickened them with a roux made from cooked flour. This became the prototype of Japanese curry as it is known today.

2. Introduction to Japan: From the Royal Navy to the Imperial Japanese Navy (Meiji Era, 19th Century)

Curry first arrived in Japan during the Meiji era in the late 19th century, when the country was actively embracing Western culture and technology.

• Influence of the Royal Navy: At the time, the Imperial Japanese Navy modeled itself on the Royal Navy and adopted several of its systems. This included 'curry stew (served with bread),' which the Royal Navy ate aboard its ships.

• Prevention of beriberi: At the time, the Imperial Japanese Navy faced a serious problem with beriberi, a vitamin B1 deficiency caused by a diet centered on white rice. Curry, rich in meat, vegetables, and flour-based roux, was nutritious and easy to serve over rice, so it was adopted as an effective military meal for preventing beriberi and improving physical strength.

3. Evolution: The Birth and Localization of 'Curry Rice'

The Imperial Japanese Navy adapted curry to the particular conditions aboard ships and to Japanese eating habits.

• Thick consistency: To prevent the liquid from spilling as ships rocked, considerably more 'roux' made by cooking flour and butter was added than in British-style curry, producing a very thick consistency.

• Combination with rice: Once it began to be served over rice, the Japanese staple, instead of with bread, the modern dish known as 'curry rice' was finally born.

4. Popularization: From the Military to the Family Table (20th Century)

Curry, which originated in the navy, spread to the civilian population as servicemen returned to their hometowns after leaving the military and introduced its flavors there.

• Introduction into school lunches: After World War II, curry was widely introduced into school lunch programs for children suffering from malnutrition, establishing it as a nationwide 'soul food.'

• The invention of solid curry roux: Beginning in the 1950s, companies such as House Foods and S&B invented and commercialized 'solid curry roux (block-shaped roux)', which made curry easy to prepare at home, as well as instant retort curry. Curry consequently became synonymous with Japanese home cooking.