What Does Japanese Curry Taste Like?

Here is a detailed guide to all that you need to know about the taste of the ever-favorite Japanese Curry. 

Let’s begin our exciting journey right away.

What Is Japanese Curry?

As the term suggests, Japanese Curry is one of Japan’s most widely consumed and most favored original dishes. Curry Rice is a staple dish often known as Kare Raisu or simply Kare.

This curry is usually made with vegetables like onion, carrots, and potatoes with any choice of meat.

Japanese Curry is most often served as three separate dishes: curry rice, curry udon, ad curry bread.

What Does Japanese Curry Taste Like?

Japanese Curry has a sweet and savory taste along with a combination of bold and mild umami flavors. The prominent ingredients in the curry are diced pieces of vegetables like carrot, potato, and onions, and any meat such as beef, chicken, or pork.

The spices used in the making of the curry are mostly Indian like curry powder and garam masala.

Japanese curry has a distinct sweetness that is derived from sautéed onions, grated apples, and honey. The slight spice is from peppers, chilies, and ginger. 

Here is how the traditional Japanese Curry is enjoyed with white rice.  

What Is The Texture Of Japanese Curry Like?

Japanese Curry has a thick, gravy, and stew-like consistency. This thickness is usually from Japanese roux and flour in the mix. Roux is a mix of fat and flour heated till it is cooked and appears brown. This is done especially to thicken the gravy.

This roux mix is then further mixed with the stewed meat and vegetables. The thick gravy makes a perfect combination with the sticky round rice it is mostly served with.

Does Japanese Curry Taste Good?

Japanese Curry is so widely consumed in the country with rice, udon noodles, or bread that it is often known as the national dish. The mild savory and sweet umami flavors are warm and comforting to most who have consumed it. 

The distinct sweetness does not overpower the slight spiciness of the curry which is what makes people of all ages including children and the elderly love it so much.

Is Japanese Curry Spicy?

No, traditionally made Japanese Curry is not too spicy and has a more sweet taste with the addition of grated apples, honey, and sautéed onions. However, some variations in the recipe can give it the desired heat.

Several premade Japanese Curry roux packs offer different levels of heat for everyone, ranging from a medium-hot, mild-hot, and children’s favored sweet apple and honey flavored.

What Is The Difference Between Japanese And Indian Curry?

The most noticeable difference between Japanese Curry and Indian Curry is in their color, consistency, and ingredients. Japanese Curry often only uses diced chunks of potatoes, carrots, onions, and pork pieces with a few mild spices.

Indian Curry, on the other hand, used a wider range of ingredients like vegetables, meat, fish, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and many bolder spices.

Indian curries often also incorporate herbs while herbs are absent in the Japanese Curry.

Does Japanese Curry Taste Like Thai Curry?

No, Japanese Curry has thicker gravy from the combination of flour, oil, and spice powders while Thai Curry has a thinner consistency from the addition of herbs like mint and cilantro. Japanese Curry often adds vegetables and red meat.

Thai Curry most often has spicy chilies, shallots, shrimps, and other kinds of seafood, unlike Japanese Curry.

Thai Curry is much spicier compared to the mild and sweet Japanese Curry.

What Meat Is Used In Japanese Curry?

Japanese Curry can be made with a combination of vegetables and any choice of protein like chicken, pork, or beef. Beef chunks in bite-size are most often the kind used in a traditional Japanese Curry. 

The dish is not vegan but a vegan substitute like firm tofu can be used with the same vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes to enjoy the dish differently.

Why Does Japanese Curry Taste So Different?

Japanese Curry is known to taste different from other globally recognized curries such as Indian, Thai, Chinese, Korean, or South African Curry. What makes Japanese Curry unique is the thick and creamy roux-based consistency and its variations.

Japanese Curry is served not only with rice but also with udon noodles and as filling in buns called curry bread.

What Does Japanese Katsu Curry Taste Like?

Japanese Katsu Curry is the same Japanese Curry with additional fried meat cutlets, often pork or chicken. Katsu Curry has a much sweeter and richer taste with a blend of caramelized onions, carrots, and garlic. 

The curry is sweetened with additional honey and has other ingredients like curry powder and soy sauce. Unlike the regular Japanese Curry, Katsu Curry does not have chunks of vegetables.

It is served with rice, meat cutlet, and curry.

Watch how this delicious Katsu Curry is prepared!

What Tastes Best With Japanese Curry?

Apart from the patent rice, Japanese Curry can be enjoyed with numerous other side dishes. Simple preparations like a fried egg, different varieties of noodles, Spinach Ohi Tashi or spinach salad, Eggplant dengaku, or miso-glazed broiled eggplant. 

Other great dishes to pair with your Japanese Curry are Japanese pickles or tsukemono, Tempura battered vegetables, garnished Japanese greens, freshly bakes bread, and lastly, French fries.

In The End

I hope you enjoyed this flavorful ride through Japanese Curry and got a helpful insight into what they taste like. 

I would love to hear about your experience with Japanese Curry.

Do invite your friends and family to experience tasting this sumptuous curry with us by sharing this guide!