WI - Japan does not adopt curry

Keenir

Banned
what if, in the 1860s, Meiji Japan decides that it isn't impressed with English curry, and the dish never takes off in Japan?


---in OTL:

in regard to curry in Japan from the 1860s to the present day...
Lizzie Collingham's book "CURRY: a tale of cooks and conquerors" said:
Part of curry's appeal is that, because it inevitably loks like a sloppy brown mess, it is exempt from gochiso, the culinary laws of purity and perfection.
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She goes on to state that, when he fled to Japan for shelter under the Black Dragon Society, Bose's primary occupation was to teach how curries were really made - not the weak stuff English traders had been selling for decades. (yes, the Bose)...and that much of Japan's success in military recruitment in WW2 (and earlier?) had been military posters advertising that they had the sexy Western-style curries served to everyone in uniform.
 

subversivepancakes

Flocculencio said:
A victory for good taste? Japanese curry is fucking awful.
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Hmph. I prefer to say that, unlike Indian curries, Japanese-style curry does not taste like chili peppers mixed with gasoline. It's more mellow, more Zen, more comfort food-ish - it's the elevator music of curries. Wait, that actually doesn't sound like a good thing . . .
 

Midas

Tastes more like a wholesome, watery gravy to me. I still like it a lot :cool:.

If Japan ends up remotely like OTL they'll probably adopt it at some point anyway, since they basically take everything, make it smaller, add a ton of Hello Kitty and random anthropomorphic kawai characters and then sell it with some really weird ass ad that goes on ATL youtube. :confused:
 
Fenrir_Angerboda

Fenrir_Angerboda

Flocculencio said:
A victory for good taste? Japanese curry is fucking awful.
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:rolleyes:


Now, as someone who enjoys and makes Japanese Curries, I can think several Things.

The Meiji Emperor pretty much ordered them to Embrace Western Cuisines in an effort to match the Europeans in size. Really. kind of like how they Thought Bringing Breadfruits to feed the Slaves in the Caribbean would let them grow as big as the Pacific Islanders.

Because of it, the Ban on Red Meat was lifted, and the Culinary scene embraced Meat as a Main Ingredient, rather than the traditional small amounts, as seen in sukiyaki or other such dishes. this lead to the influx of meat based Dishes from the Europeans

Now, Curry was adopted by the Navy.
That right there is a major part of this. give it to them with their Pickles. nice way to get salts.
the Navy also experimented with European style Beef Stew, Creating Nikujaga; a Meat-potato stew with a Shoyu base.
but I guess it's to...Familiar to the average Japanese.

I suppose part of it is the Taste of Curry is something foreign. Such spice, and Flavor, makes a much, much more.... fascinating dish than the normal use of Soy.

Perhaps earlier, and more, Chinese or Dutch Influences may make a difference. Earlier Arrivals and usage of say...Five Spice or such before the Isolation period might mean spicier Dishes being formed.
then when Isolation ends, and the Limeys bring Curry in....nothing. the Weak British Curry is no match for the more Flavorful Japanese dishes.

just my Two-bits.
 

tallwingedgoat

It's my understanding the spread of curry in Japan was a military initiative. The Imperial Japanese Navy was an attempt to clone the British Royal Navy. It was trained by the British and the naval academy was a copy of a British naval academy, built with red bricks imported from Britain.

The RN at the time ate curry to stave off scurvy. The IJN deferred to British experience and served the dish. Much later, the army copied the naval tradition and soon you had lots of Japanese farmers with a curry habit from their time in the army.

Its neigh impossible to stop the navy from adopting curry from this perspective. The IJA however could adopt very different field cooking since they were modeled on the Germans. The German army's main dish in the field was the Erbswurst, or dried pea soup. I have to admit, if were up to me, I'd rather have curry than split pea soup.
 
Fenrir_Angerboda

Fenrir_Angerboda

tallwingedgoat said:
It's my understanding the spread of curry in Japan was a military initiative. The Imperial Japanese Navy was an attempt to clone the British Royal Navy. It was trained by the British and the naval academy was a copy of a British naval academy, built with red bricks imported from Britain.

The RN at the time ate curry to stave off scurvy. The IJN deferred to British experience and served the dish. Much later, the army copied the naval tradition and soon you had lots of Japanese farmers with a curry habit from their time in the army.

Its neigh impossible to stop the navy from adopting curry from this perspective. The IJA however could adopt very different field cooking since they were modeled on the Germans. The German army's main dish in the field was the Erbswurst, or dried pea soup. I have to admit, if were up to me, I'd rather have curry than split pea soup.
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What did the French, Dutch, Americans and Portuguese Have?

so to Get rid of curry the British either Need to be a Weaker Naval Power, or the Japanese have to take a liking to a different Naval Power.
 
Orry

Orry

Donor
Monthly Donor
split pea curry?

Tea and Curry - the two ingredients that made the empire great :)
 

Tyr

Funny thread.

I must say I've never had Japanese curry. But then I've never really had any Japanese food. Its just not common.

The Meiji Emperor pretty much ordered them to Embrace Western Cuisines in an effort to match the Europeans in size. Really. kind of like how they Thought Bringing Breadfruits to feed the Slaves in the Caribbean would let them grow as big as the Pacific Islanders.
Click to expand...
I dunno, that isn't too wacky a theory. Diet does have a huge impact on how you grow up.
 
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