Karaage

File:Chicken karaage 003.jpg

Chicken karaage

is a Japanese cooking technique in which various foods—most often chicken, but also other meat and fish—are deep fried in oil. The process involves lightly coating small pieces of meat or fish with a combination of flour and potato starch or corn starch, and frying in a light oil. The foods are marinated prior to coating. The process differs from the preparation of tempura, which is not marinated and uses a batter for coating. Karaage is often served alone or with rice and shredded cabbage.

When the main ingredient is coated with starch instead of flour, the dish may be called .

History

File:まいどおおきに食堂の醤油から揚げ.jpg

Chicken karaage

The first references to a style of frying called (then written as ) were in the Genroku period at the end of the 17th century. Chicken was popularized as a "Chinese-style" restaurant food (using the characters , where 唐 means Tang) in the 1930s. There exists considerable disagreement among newspapers and publishers in Japan about the preferred kanji, leading some to write it phonetically as .

When used without a modifier, usually refers to the chicken version of the dish; this has been the most common application of the cooking style since making at home became more popular after World War II. The post-war increase in the popularity of karaage is said to have begun in Ōita Prefecture in neighboring cities Usa and Nakatsu. At the annual Festival in Nakatsu, over 60 different shops participate to provide unique versions of the dish. Shops which advertise "Nakatsu karaage" can be found throughout Japan.

In Japan, chicken is commonly available in convenience stores such as Lawson, FamilyMart, and 7-Eleven as a fast-food item. It is also readily available in food stands throughout Japan.

Regional

File:Geso karaage by Atari, Gracinha & Marco.jpg

Geso (squid tentacle)

Since has spread throughout Japan, there have been many regional takes on the dish, the most notable ones including:

• – Hokkaido prefecture's version of , made with a marinade and served with a spicy dipping sauce.

• – Nagoya's version of , made with bone in chicken wings, sprinkled with sesame seeds and basted with a special sauce.

• Chicken – Miyazaki prefecture’s version of , dipped in sweet vinegar and topped with tartar sauce.

• – Okinawa prefecture’s version of . Gurukun is Okinawa's official and most popular fish, often called a "banana fish" in English; it is a fish fried whole and served with lemon.

• – Korea's take on fried chicken, very similar to , but usually made with milk and a sweet/spicy sauce consisting of soy sauce, rice wine, red chili pepper paste, honey, and seasonings.

• – A version of popular in Yamaguchi prefecture. Shimonoseki is known as the capital of fugu and many restaurants serving fugu can be found around the city. The flesh, organs, and bones of the blowfish are deep-fried.

• Chicken Script error: No such module "Lang". at Gyoza no Ohsho
  Chicken at Gyoza no Ohsho
• Gobō Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Gobō
• Octopus Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Octopus
• Potato Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Potato
• Fugu Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Fugu
• "Bananafish" Script error: No such module "Lang".
  "Bananafish"
• Dakgangjeong, a similar style of fried chicken consumed in Korea
  Dakgangjeong, a similar style of fried chicken consumed in Korea

in the media

• has become embedded in Japanese cuisine and has made several TV appearances. Probably the most notable appearance has been in the anime/manga series Shokugeki no Souma, a show about a young aspiring chef who sticks to his roots in family restaurant food.
• Another notable mention was by Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain sang praises for the Japanese fried dish in an interview, saying that he always stopped by Lawson to pick up when he visited Japan.
• The dish of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is deep-fried chicken , such as Okinawan-style deep-fried chicken. It has been used to promote the JASDF.

See also

• Fried chicken
• List of cooking techniques
• List of deep fried foods
• Tempura

External links

• Japan Karaage Association Template:In lang
• Karaage JP Template:In lang
• Photos and further info about karaage Template:In lang
• Chicken Karaage recipe video (in English)