Japanese Curry Culture

S&B FOODS, Japan’s original producer of curry powder and have promoted Japanese curry culture

in 1923: In 1920’s and a young, passionate fan of curry: Minejiro Yamazaki, who would later found S&B Foods, attempted to create a domestic version of the curry powder. With scant data or reference material, he tenaciously experimented with a wide variety of spices and combinations, he came up with just the right blend in 1923 — Japan’s first curry powder. The powder Yamazaki concocted contained many more spices than garam masala and, with its superbly blended ingredients roasted and matured to perfection, was truly a culinary masterpiece of its time.; Eventually his curry powder would be found on market shelves throughout Japan; the instantly recognizable red can curry that has long been a Japanese favorite and in which still lingers traces of Yamazaki’s original blend.

Since then: We have been instrumental in popularizing curry in every corner of Japan. Nowdays, curry is one of the most popular foods in Japan and it is widely consumed.
The delights of Japanese curry has spread around the world, and our convenient curry sauce mix and retort curries were breakthroughs in the culinary world. We continue to advance and promote the country’s love affair with this warm, mellow dish.

Original Japanese Curries

Powdered, roux and retort pouch curry are the most popular in homes, but venture into a curry restaurant and you’ll discover another aspect of Japanese curry culture. Many items on the menu were cooked soon after curry appeared in Japan and are evidence of the country’s love for the dish.

Curry udon
A bowl of popular udon noodles in a thick curry-flavored broth. A Tokyo original since 1904, the flavor also contains a hint of soy sauce and traditional dashi broth. A wonderful mix of Japanese and Western tastes.
Recipe
Curry and cutlet
Thick curry sauce over a deep-fried pork cutlet. Another blend of Japanese and Western tastes that originated in Tokyo in 1918.
Recipe
Curry doughnut
Deep-fried doughnut made with curry. This unusual bread was first made in 1927 and is so unique that it was patented!
Curry snacks
The country is also awash in curry-flavored snacks, drinks and other treats that are always popular with curry loving Japanese!

Curry culture in life

Based on the 2015 statistics of All Japan Curry Manufactures Association, Japanese people eat curry 72.6 times a year. It is more than once a week through home-made, take out or eat out.
The curry is very close to the life of the Japanese. As curry is a popular menu not only for home and restaurants, but also for school meal, there are various opportunities to eat. It is ideal for school meals because it is easy to cook and is a nutritious comprehensive diet containing all of rice (staple diet), vegetables (side dishes), meat or seafood (main dish) in one plate dish. It is favorite menu for children.
Also, it is said that the curry is particularly delicious when many ingredients are finely chopped and cooked in a big pot, it is often cooked and eaten in open-air school and outdoor such as camping.