Cover image source: thehungrykat.com
Hey Steemit!
I'm trying out something different today with a new Tasteem contest - Takeaway! Since I'm right in the middle of my travel Japan series, I thought it'd be fitting to choose a takeaway snack from there (also since drinks are not included in this contest). Recounting that trip also made me remember the best karaage I've ever had so I'm glad I get to share it today!
We found this lone takoyaki stall called Fufu takoyaki which also sold karaage right downstairs from our airbnb in Osaka back in 2016. It was a little ways out of the city so we were quite surprised there was a random stall here (we were staying there because it was near to USJ). On our first day there we decided to give it a try by ordering the smallest size they had.
We kinda regretted ordering the smallest because it was soooo goood! 😋 It was hot, crispy, and had a unique blend of spices but it was more peppery than spicy. Yummy!
We vowed to buy the biggest size the next time and a few days later, we did just that!
It was only 200yen more and it was soo worth it! The chicken is always made on the spot and fried to perfection; crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, it was absolutely delicious!
So I did a bit of research, and found that Karaage is actually a term for the Japanese cooking technique in which various foods—most often chicken, but also other meat and fish—are deep fried in oil. Occasionally, the foods are marinated prior to coating in seasoning mix, similar to tempura.
Karaage is often cited to have been popularized in the 1920s by the Toyoken restaurant in Beppu, Japan. The method was popularized because of the food shortages in Japan after World War 2, specifically for chicken. Chicken was already a popular meal, but using the Karaage method made it easier to cook, and provided a different way to eat chicken. Since the 1920s, the dish has spread widely throughout all of Japan. Karaage is mostly in reference to fried chicken, as the fried chicken has become the most widespread version of the cooking style.
Unfortuntely I don't really know the history behind Fufu since their website is entirely in Japanese, but they have quite a few outlets across Osaka.
We actually came back to Osaka a few months after that first trip and came all the way back to this very shop just to eat this karaage again and we were not disappointed; it was still so yummy!
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Looking at these pictures is making my mouth water. 🤤 I can't wait to go back and eat karaage again! When I watched Shokugeki no Soma (aka Food Wars) I got so hungry looking at the karaage wrap that Soma made, maybe next time we'll go look for something like that and try it too!
Source: shokugekinosoma.fandom.com
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Restaurant Information
Fufu Takoyaki
1-3-5 Kasugadekita, Konohana-ku, Osaka 554-0021, Osaka, Japan
This post participated in the Tasteem contest Takeaway
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