Full steam ahead: how navy curry' conquered hearts in Japan

"Yosuke Oyama, the ship's chef, has been up since dawn, softening onions and occasionally stirring a pot of chicken stock that has been simmering for several hours. He slices carrots and potatoes, places strips of beef on a tray and performs a quick inventory of the other ingredients among them a selection of spices, apple puree, ginger and garlic and, for extra umami, a red wine and honey reduction. After a chorus of Itadakimasu bon appetit the mess deck is silent except for the appreciative noises made by the ravenous men and women of Japan's maritime self-defence forces (SDF)."

"The crew love hamburgers, steak, sushi and ramen they eat a lot like children, jokes Oyama, a navy chef for three decades who is more accustomed to cooking for up to 500 sailors at a time. And curry is always a winner. How KFC, AKA Korean fried chicken, took over the world With each spoonful, they are upholding a tradition of eating curry for lunch every Friday once a way to track the passage of time on long voyages and keeping rival SDF vessels around Japan on their culinary toes as they continue their search for the perfect curry recipe."

"Despite its south Asian origins, it's no exaggeration to describe curry as Japan's de facto national dish: a soupy, mild version beloved of schoolchildren and office workers, and generations of SDF personnel for whom kaigun kare or navy curry is a source of fierce pride as well as sustenance. The 10 crew members aboard Hashidate, a special services vessel used to host international VIPs that lies at anchor in Yokosuka, a naval base south of Tokyo, are among thousands of sailors eating their ship's version of the same dish."

"Chef Oyama says variety is the key to keeping his diners interested in their Friday curry week in, week out. We mix things up, like making keema or seafood curry, or keeping the leftover"

A navy vessel crew prepares lunch long before aromas reach the mess deck. The ship’s chef starts at dawn, softens onions, simmers chicken stock for hours, slices vegetables, and assembles beef with spices, apple puree, ginger, garlic, and umami additions like red wine and honey reduction. Sailors eat curry every Friday as a way to mark time on long voyages and to stay competitive with rival vessels. Curry is widely treated as Japan’s de facto national dish, especially a mild, soupy style loved by schoolchildren and office workers. SDF personnel view navy curry as both sustenance and a source of pride. Variety in curry types helps maintain interest over repeated weeks.

Read at www.theguardian.com