Have you ever eaten Japanese curry?

We all know the spicy Thai green curry or tikka masala you order at the Indian restaurant, but there is so much more. Many countries make curries you may not know at all yet. For example, have you ever eaten Japanese curry?

When you think of Japan, you probably think of sushi, perhaps ramen for the past few years, and if you have a sweet tooth, surely green tea KitKats. When the subject of curry comes up, Japan is often overlooked. What a shame and how strange, because it is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The flavor of Japanese curry is milder and sweeter than that of, for example, Thai or Indian curry. It often contains potatoes and carrots, and is frequently seasoned with cardamom and fenugreek.

Do you know sambai vinegar yet?

Japanese curry is not made with curry paste, as you may be used to from Thai curry, but with a roux. Yes, that thickening agent made from butter and flour, which you may know from French cuisine. First, you make a stock or stew, and then add the roux. This makes the sauce quite thick and velvety—real comfort food. Don’t feel like making a roux? At the Asian grocery store, you can buy curry roux cubes, which you only need to dilute with water.

Kare is Japanese for curry, so if you see that word somewhere, you know you’re on the right track. The different kare dishes can vary quite a bit. Kare raisu is a curry as you are probably used to, with pieces of chicken or beef in it. You also often see the curry served separately as a sauce, as with katsu kare: crispy pork schnitzel with curry poured over it. Both dishes are served with rice, but if you think rice and curry are the only combination: think again.

Almost all carbs can be mixed with curry. With kare udon, the sauce is eaten with thick udon noodles, resulting in something almost like noodle soup. It is quite heavy on the stomach, though, because of the rich sauce and thick noodles. Do you have leftovers from the previous evening? Then make kare pan: fried dough filled with curry. The crispy exterior and savory filling vaguely resemble the Sicilian risotto balls known as arancini. In any case, with both snacks, you can easily end up eating far too many.