FOR over a hundred years, curry and rice has been one of the most popular dishes in Japanese cuisine – even taking a stand on the “most well-loved” podium along with more traditional icons like sushi and yakitori.
It is popular enough that many Japanese restaurants include it in their menu, even in countries with an established tradition of their own curries like Malaysia.
This has led to stories about how it became a favourite in the Land of the Rising Sun; the most common being that it was introduced when the then-Imperial Japanese Navy adopted elements of the British Royal Navy in its 19th Century modernisation.
Is this true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
While the word “curry” in the English language evolved as an umbrella term to categorise many dishes from the Indian subcontinent, the Japanese form of curry emerged out of their push for Western-style modernisation during the end of the 19th Century.
This is something that Japan's Defence Ministry acknowledged in a series of posts on their official X (then Twitter) account back in 2021, in which it said that the dish is still a much-loved tradition by the modern Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).
“In 1870, Japan adopted the British military system to introduce the latest military technology to the Japanese Navy. After that, the Imperial Navy had learned various techniques from the Royal Navy, including the recipe of curry which is still loved by the JMSDF,” it said.
It then added in a following X post that this was one of the improvements instituted in the reforms made during the reign of the Emperor Meiji to address malnutrition among naval recruits.
“That is why curry was introduced to the Navy, as the excellent recipe is nutritious, easy to cook in a mass quantity, and delicious,” it said.
This is why curry and rice is a Friday tradition carried over from the Imperial Japanese Navy to the modern JMSDF, with each ship and base taking pride in their own recipe – which they keep as a closely-guarded secret.
In 1870, Japan adopted the British military system to introduce the latest military technology to the Japanese Navy. After that, Imperial Navy had learned various techniques from Royal Navy, including the recipe of curry which is still loved by #JMSDF. pic.twitter.com/br8sDLHIgH
— Japan Ministry of Defense/Self-Defense Forces (@ModJapan_en) August 25, 2021
SOURCES:
www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2023-07-26/japanese-navy-curry-yokosuka-10857768.html
