9 Japanese Fried Foods

While Japanese food is renowned for being one of the healthiest cuisines in the world, there are still plenty of indulgent fried snacks that you can try. Making use of local ingredients and the quick cooking times required for producing street food, fried dishes are very popular in Japan. We take a look at some of the fried foods most commonly enjoyed in Japan.

Kushikatsu

Many Japanese fried dishes have become popularised by street food vendors, who produce fresh, flavourful, and sometimes intriguing bites to go.

With only a small area to work in, and with growing queues of hungry diners waiting, it is important for street food vendors to find the quickest way to produce their food. That is why some began to fry their skewers rather than grill them, as would be the traditional way.

Kushikatsu can be made using meat, seafood or vegetables, with chicken, pork and octopus being common choices. The main ingredient is coated in breadcrumbs and fried to give it a crunchy coating.

Tempura

Tempura is a light-coloured and textured batter made from flour and cold water. Ingredients such as prawns or vegetable slices will be dipped in the batter and then deep-fried to create a crispy coating.

The batter will be fairly thin, with a pale yellow colour. Tempura will be served with a soy dipping sauce.

Satsuma-age

Satsuma-age does not involve the orange fruits but instead is made from minced fish and flour. The fish and flour are combined into a paste, shaped into a circle and deep-fried.

Variations on the dish will see other ingredients added to the paste mixture, including vegetables.

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is pork covered in light breadcrumbs and deep-fried. The pork will be fried as one piece and then sliced when served. The meat will be cooked thoroughly, leaving a crispy exterior.

The Tonkatsu will be dished up alongside a tangy dipping sauce. There are varieties of katsu dishes involving different meats, including chicken and beef.

Agedashi Tofu

This dish involves chunks of tofu coated in cornstarch and deep-fried. This creates a crispy exterior, with a soft middle, providing a variety of textural experiences with each bite.

Agedashi tofu is typically served in a dashi broth.

Korokke

Korokke is the Japanese version of the French classic, croquette. Korokke is primarily potato, with chunks of pork, beef and cheese mixed in, which is breaded and deep-fried.

A well-loved snack from street food stands, Korroke is enjoyed with Japanese mustard (karashi) or Worcestershire sauce.

Tebasaki

Fried chicken wings are a popular food worldwide, and Japan is no different. The Japanese version of chicken wings is tebasaki.

Depending on the region in which they are cooked, tebasaki has an extensive range of flavour options, with the dish prepared in a variety of sauces, spices and seasonings.

Renkon Chips

While the Western world loves snacking on a bag of potato crisps, the diverse assortment of root vegetables available in Japan opens up new possibilities for crisp-based snacks!

A popular choice is renkon chips; thinly sliced and deep-fried lotus root. These make quite striking crisps, given the interesting hole pattern through the centre of the lotus root or renkon.

Nankotsu

Nankotsu is a dish comprising lightly battered and fried chicken cartilage. It is enjoyed in Japan due to the crunchy texture the cartilage offers. Unlike many flavourful Japanese dishes, the nankotsu is most commonly simply flavoured with salt and pepper seasoning.

Would you like to try making some of these fried dishes at home? Alternatively, check out the range of Japanese snacks in the UK available at Oriental Mart!