is a [[Japanese cooking technique|Japanese cuisine]] 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|marination]] prior to coating. The process differs from the preparation of ''[[tempura]]'', which is not marinated and uses a batter for coating.
When the main ingredient is coated with starch instead of flour, the dish may be called 竜田揚げ.
History
The first references to a style of frying called karaage (then written as 空揚) were in the
Genroku period at the end of the 17th century. Chicken karaage was popularized as a "Chinese-style" restaurant food (using the characters 唐揚, where 唐 means
Tang dynasty) in the 1930s. There exists considerable disagreement among newspapers and publishers in Japan about the preferred
kanji, leading some to write it phonetically as からあげ.
When used without a modifier, karaage usually refers to the chicken version of the dish; this has been the most common application of the cooking style since making karaage at home became more popular after World War II. The Postwar Japan increase in the popularity of karaage is said to have begun in Ōita Prefecture in neighboring cities Usa and Nakatsu. At the annual Karaage Festival in Nakatsu, over 60 different shops participate to provide unique versions of the dish.[ "Karaage Festival" Retrieved June 5 2024] Shops which advertise "Nakatsu karaage" can be found throughout Japan.[ "【大分名物】中津からあげ7選！からあげの聖地で外せない名店はココ！" Retrieved June 5 2024][ "【東京都内】こだわりのから揚げ専門店7選！大分・中津のご当地からあげも♪" Retrieved June 5 2024]
In Japan, chicken karaage 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 karaage
Since karaage has spread throughout Japan, there have been many regional takes on the dish, the most notable ones including:
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Zangi – Hokkaido prefecture's version of karaage, made with a marinade and served with a spicy dipping sauce.
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Tebasaki – Nagoya's version of karaage, made with bone in chicken wings, sprinkled with sesame seeds and basted with a special sauce.
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Chicken nanban – Miyazaki prefecture’s version of karaage, dipped in sweet vinegar and topped with tartar sauce.
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Gurukun no kara-age – Okinawa prefecture’s version of karaage. 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.
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Dakgangjeong
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Fugu no kara-age – A version of karaage popular in Yamaguchi prefecture. Shimonoseki is known as the capital of fugu
File:餃子の王将 (15673149720).jpg|Chicken karaage at Gyoza no Ohsho
File:Gobo karaage by ayustety in Tomioka, Tokyo.jpg| Arctium lappa karaage
File:Octopus karaage by june29.jpg|Octopus karaage
File:じゃがべー.jpg|Potato karaage
File:Fugu karaage by rhosoi.jpg|Fugu karaage
File:Grukun.jpg|"Bananafish" karaage
File:Dak-gangjeong 3.jpg| Dakgangjeong, a similar style of fried chicken consumed in Korea
Karaage in the media
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Karaage has become embedded in Japanese cuisine and has made several TV appearances. Probably the most notable appearance has been in the anime/manga series , a show about a young aspiring chef who sticks to his roots in family restaurant food.
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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 karaage when he visited Japan.
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The dish of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is deep-fried chicken karaage,
See also
External links
