Sapporo Soup Curry – By GEORGE BRAINE
Recently, The New York Times carried a feature article on what to eat while traveling in Asia. It recommended a specific dish from India, Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Soup Curry was the dish from Japan, and Sapporo, in the northern island of Hokkaido, where I live, is the home of soup curry.
To a Sri Lankan, “Japanese curry” sounds like such a mismatch. What would the consumers of sushi – raw fish – know about curry, in which ingredients are cooked to death? So, for a couple of years, I thumbed my nose at local curry. Most supermarkets display a mind boggling variety of packaged curries, but they did not appeal to me.
Curry is said to have arrived in Japan in the 19th century, when Anglo-Indian members of the Royal Navy brought curry powder with them. Since then, the Japanese have adapted curry to suit their palate, and it has become ubiquitous here, enjoyed at home, served in school cafeterias, and becoming the Friday menu of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
So, what is the difference between “ordinary” Japanese curry and soup curry? The “ordinary” curry is thick and gravy based, sweeter and less spicy than its Indian counterpart. Soup curry is less thick, consisting mainly of rice broth, aromatic spices, and vegetables, ranging from onion, garlic, ginger, burdock root, carrot, potato, with a dash of coconut milk, topped up with a chicken thigh. In Hokkaido, all ingredients are sourced locally. A small bowl of rice is served as a side dish.
The first time I dared to order it, in the midst of a brutal winter, my bowl of soup curry arrived piping hot, literally bursting with aroma and color. I had been asked what level of spiciness I desired, in a range of 1 to 5. Being cautious, I said 2. I inhaled deeply, and took a sip. Almost instantly, I realized why soup curry had so many die hard aficionados. The carrots and potatoes melted in the mouth, and the chicken came smoothly off the bone. Soon, I was hooked, too.
In Sapporo, every street corner has a soup curry place, mostly hole-in-the-wall joints, seating a few. But, they all have their distinctive flavors, and stretch the meaning of soup curry. With winter approaching, there’s no better place to be than Sapporo.
GEORGE BRAINE
