Japanese people love curry. Today, it’s even considered a national dish, and is many people’s favourite. There are various forms of curry, including curry powder, ready-to-eat retort curry, which can be simply heated using hot water, and curry roux, which is used by first sauteing vegetables and meat then adding the roux to finish. Here is an introduction to these different types of curry.
Curry mix
Curry powder, also known as “pure curry” or “curry powder”, is a blend of various spices and herbs. It’s used as a basic seasoning in dishes like curry-flavoured vegetable stir-fries and curry fried rice, among others. In addition, instant curry (curry roux) and retort curry are produced based on curry powder.
Curry Roux
Curry roux is also known as “instant curry” or “instant curry roux”. The term “roux” refers to a mixture of wheat flour sauteed in butter or olive oil, which is used to eliminate the raw flour taste and to thicken sauces. Curry roux is created by mixing this roux with curry powder, fats, seasonings and other ingredients. Recently, flake-type and paste-type curry roux have also been developed.
Pre-cooked curry
Pre-cooked curry is a ready-to-eat dish that typically consists of simmered meat, vegetables and other ingredients, combined with curry powder, wheat flour, edible fats, sugar, salt and seasonings. It is sealed either in containers such as retort pouches (sachets) and cans, then subjected to high-pressure heat to sterilise it; packaged aseptically; or sealed in containers and distributed in frozen or chilled form. In all cases, it can be easily heated and consumed.
