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Morning Curry- another new Japanese food fad
posted by umaimon on Thu, 2009-07-02 10:39
Hi guys-
I was watching the morning news a few days back (Fujisankei morning news in the US, to be exact), and they introduced another strange but interesting Japanese food phenomenon: morning curry!
Ever since it was broadcast in the media that Ichiro (the baseball player) ate curry rice for breakfast before big games, an increasing number of people have started to consume curry rice in the mornings. Here is another source that looks at this interesting fad: http://blog.benippon.com/2009/06/morning-curry-boom.html
I was assuming that everyone was eating curry rice from the night before, but that doesn't seem to be the case, either. People actually stop by curry restaurants on their way to work in the mornings, and curry companies like House sell curry packets at the grocery stores that are specifically "Asa-Curry" (asa, meaning morning) http://news.walkerplus.com/2009/0122/13/20090122224752_01_400.jpg
Why did everyone suddenly get into eating morning curry? Ichiro does play a huge role, but some people believe that the spice wakes them up in the morning. Thus, some businessmen prefer to eat curry rice on the mornings of big meetings. Moms also like to think that the spices in curry helps make their kids more alert, so morning curry is also eaten in households of jyukensei (students preparing for entrance exams).
One of the people being interviewed said he eats curry every morning because it is not too heavy (...really? it could depend on the brand), and because it has a lot of vegetables (onions and carrots and potatoes...which do not sound like a lot of vegetables, but it's probably more than the average person would have in the morning). But everyone has their own preferences.
I actually do eat curry in the mornings, but only when it's left over from the night before. Do you ever eat curry in the mornings? If you don't, would you think Ichiro, or any of those other reasons would be a good reason to start doing so? I'd love to hear back!
-Alissa (from http://umaimon.tumblr.com)
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I must admit, like you I have eaten curry for breakfast if there are leftovers, but I always feel a bit guilty for doing so, especially if it's takeaway leftovers... I must say, I like something hot for breakfast in winter, and have been known to eat soup for breakfast. I don't know if I could bring myself to make curry from scratch in the morning though; I think it would send my internal clock haywire!
There is a lot to be said for having spices in a breakfast though. A spicy sausage is good to perk up your taste buds, and obviously the breakfast dish Kedgeree takes some cues from indian curry influences.
I love a bit of spice in the morning, when I have time. There are a number of spicy egg recipes which usually involve vast quantities of salsa and/or peppers that I love to make on the weekends.
I vaguely remember reading about some sort of fad diet from some years ago called the "reverse diet" or something, where the author recommended eating dinner for breakfast, normal lunch, then a small dinner (or even breakfast for dinner). The reasoning was that you should eat the bulk of your calories at the start of the day, rather than at the end before you go to sleep. It sort of makes sense to me, but of course the total amount of calories is what really counts.
An athlete like Ichiro can probably eat thousands of calories and stay fit anyway (I read somewhere that he is quite disciplined about keeping in shape, which accounts for his long career).
The Big Onigiri.
- Wherever you go, there you are. -
The reasoning was that you should eat the bulk of your calories at the start of the day, rather than at the end before you go to sleep. It sort of makes sense to me, but of course the total amount of calories is what really counts.
In my mum's home this is the usual. My mum prepares big breakfasts and small dinners. And it's nice because you'll sleep better :)
About curry in the morning... aw, well I usually take a coffee and toasted bread with tomato so, even though it's not the sweetest food in the world it's not as salty or spicy >_<
My bento blog: http://justbento.com/blog/1305
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The only time I've seen curry served and eaten at breakfast time in Tokyo is as 'kare pan' - a sort of donut with curry in the middle.
I just did a quick search, amazingly (to me!) Maki has already posted a recipe for it
http://www.justhungry.com/japanese-curry-bread-kare-pan
I wouldn't call it a typical Japanese breakfast item, but it's freely available to anybody who wants it in the mornings.
Both pii_bii and Maki (http://www.justhungry.com/quinoa-kedgeree) have beaten me into explaining that kedgeree is a classic curried British breakfast dish. But it's been a long, long time since I've seen it featured on any breakfast menus, I think kedgeree served in the morning is a tradition that got left behind in the 1970s. There does seem to be a bit of a revival going on though, even with the spices this "all day breakfast" menu item does seem a much healthier way to start the day than the alternative "all day" sausages, beans, bacon, eggs, black pudding, fried bread, potatoes and mushroom breakfast which has remained popular.
I may not be into the British empire style of curry and curry roux popular in England and in Japan, but I can really get into hot, spicy food in the morning. One of my all time favourite breakfasts can be found in the book "From Anna's Kitchen" by Anna Thomas (it's called "The New Vegetarian Epicure" in North America) - cornmeal griddlecakes with chipotle sauce. :dribbles:
Huevos Rancheros is a great classic, as is the fabulous Jamaican Saltfish and Ackee - both make terrific breakfasts.
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