Kari Kari (カリカリ)! Get to Know Japan’s Beloved Crispy Chicken Karaage

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Karaage, also known as Japanese fried chicken, is a simple yet delicious dish that is loved for its signature soy and ginger flavor and light and crispy texture. Often associated with the words “kari kari” or “crispy”, in Japanese. The history of these golden brown, bite-size portions of crunchy chicken date back hundreds of years, becoming a core part of Japanese cuisine and culture today.

In appreciation of this ultimate Japanese comfort food, we’ll be exploring some of the lesser-known facts about chicken karaage to showcase its influence and popularity around the world.

**Where Does Karaage Come From?**

There are a few theories on how karaage came to be in Japan. One is that the Japanese started incorporating Chinese-style fried foods into their cuisines in the Edo period, anywhere between 1600-1868.

Another theory credits the Portuguese when 16th Century missionaries arrived in Japan and brought their fried cooking methods with them.

It may come as a surprise to some, but karaage didn’t become popular across the country until after WWII, when eating more meat, and especially chicken, became the norm. Until this time, Japan was mostly pescatarian, favoring seafood or vegetarian foods due to their Buddhist beliefs.

Karaage’s Etymology

Karaage was originally called “tsuage” in Japan and was made using small pieces of chicken that were seasoned with salt and pepper before being fried in oil. Over time, the dish evolved and became known as karaage, which is derived from the Japanese character “唐 (kara)” which denotes its Chinese origin and “揚げ (age)”, which means “deep-fried”.

**Who Makes the Best Karaage?**

Not only is chicken karaage a staple for festivals and events in Japan, but there are also dedicated competitions around this specific dish to determine who has the best karaage recipe in the whole country! Every year, hundreds of thousands of people vote in a country-wide competition called the Karaage Grand Prix where over 1,000 shops compete!

Nakatsu City, a small city located in the Oita prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, usually wins the most awards, with more than 50 karaage restaurants dedicated to the dish.

The Japan Karaage Association

So highly regarded is karaage in Japan that there is a dedicated Japan Karaage Association that focuses on training and certifying karaage specialists. One of the goals of the Japan Karaage Association is to create a comprehensive map of the best fried karaage establishments, so that anyone can find delicious karaage in Japan.

To become an association member and “Karaagenist,” applicants must pass a written test about karaage knowledge. If you pass the exam, you will receive an official business card issued by the association, deeming you fit to work as a certified karaage specialist.

**Make Chicken Karaage at Home with Zojirushi**

All this talk of juicy fried chicken making you hungry? Make karaage at home in a few easy steps by following our Zojirushi Karaage Recipe. We like to add dark sesame oil and marinate our chicken in a plastic bag to lock in all of the flavors.

For more tips and tricks on how to perfect your karaage recipe, read our Mom’s Home Cooked 唐揚げ (Karaage): Japanese Fried Chicken article.

How do you like to enjoy Japanese karaage? Did you learn anything new about this dish today? Remember to share your thoughts, comments, and questions with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

Product of the Month –
Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer (NL-BAC05)

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Hello and happy February Zojirushi fans! We are so excited to announce that our Product of the Month is the Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer (NL-BAC05)!

Why? Because it is such an all-around versatile rice cooker!

This rice cooker and warmer works best for individuals, as well as small families because of its compact cooking capacity. It can make as little as a half cup of uncooked rice or other grains, which is great for an individual serving, and as much as three cups for multiple portions. The Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer ensures perfectly cooked rice and grains every time. How? It comes with a rice measuring cup and an inner cooking pan with water level markings which make it easy to measure out the correct amount of ingredients. Long gone are the days of inconsistent measuring and guessing; we made is simple, so you can have the best meal.

This rice cooker and warmer is also intelligently designed. It comes with a black, nonstick inner cooking pan that is 2.5 mm thick, allowing for even heat distribution for better cooking.

It also features a triple heater with extra-large heating elements that heats the food from the bottom, side, and top. In order to prevent messy overflows during high temperature cooking, the rice cooker also includes a removable Steam Vent Cap. Lastly, another notable feature is its removable Inner Lid to aid in cooking an an easy-to-use LCD Control Panel from which you can program the rice cooker and warmer.

With all these useful features, its no wonder that this rice cooker and warmer is able to prepare more than just rice. As we mentioned previously, this rice cooker has dedicated menu settings for rice and other grains. When cooking rice, the settings for White/Sushi, Quick, Brown, and Long Grain White allows you to cook short, medium, and long-grain white rice, short and medium brown rice, as well as white rice with the germ, germinated brown rice and semi-brown rice. The menu settings for Quinoa and Steel Cut Oatmeal lets you prepare white, black and red quinoa, steel cut oats, as well as rice mixed with barley. And the rice cooker’s microcomputer uses advanced fuzzy logic technology to ensure perfect results every time by making fine adjustments to cooking time and temperature.

We love how our Quinoa and Chicken Super Salad (pictured below) and Thai Oatmeal Salad with Eggplant turn out in this rice cooker, along with how the long-grain white rice for Jambalaya is made. Check out other recipes on our website for more inspiration!

Oh, and did we mention that it makes cake?! The “Cake” menu setting lets you make various types of cakes such as sponge-type cakes and cheesecakes, by pouring in the prepared batter, selecting the “Cake” menu setting, and programming in the cooking time. How simple is that?

Cooking is just one of the rice cooker’s function. This rice cooker can automatically keep cooked food warm with the “Keep Warm” setting and can do that for an extended period of time with the “Extended Keep Warm” setting, which maintains a low temperature so the food doesn’t dry out. The Timer function lets you set when you’d like cooked rice, quinoa, or steel cut oats to be finished cooking. Two timers can be preset, which is great if you know you will need rice ready for dinner or oats ready for breakfast. And you’ll know when your food is ready because the rice cooker’s melody or beep will play.

As with our other products, the retractable power cord and sturdy handle makes this machine simple to store, and all surfaces that come in contact with food are BPA-free. Accessories include a spatula and a measuring cup.

We hope you love this awesome rice cooker and warmer as much as we do. Make sure to share all your delicious recipes with us and don’t forget to tag your photos with #ZOJIRUSHI on Instagram!

Product of the Month –
Gourmet d’Expert® Electric Skillet (EP-PBC10)

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Zojirushi America Corporation

Happy New Year, Zojirushi fans! We hope that this new decade helps bring you success and happiness!

What are some of your goals for 2020?

We are excited to start this year by introducing you to one of our favorite products and our Product of the Month– the Gourmet d’Expert® Electric Skillet (EP-PBC10)!

This Electric Skillet is not like any other– this versatile product is packed with so many ingenious features that we’re sure you’ll love.

Let’s start with the basics– how it works. This skillet is composed of a main body with heating surface, a cooking pan, a lid and a power cord. Once out of the box, you just simply wash the cooking pan and lid before the first use, place the cooking pan in the main body, attach the removable power cord and you’re ready…how simple is that?!

The cooking pan is 2 1/4 inches deep with a diameter of 10 1/2 inches, and it features a titanium and ceramic nonstick coating. The size of the cooking pan, as well as the nonstick coating makes it ideal for sauteing ingredients, braising vegetables, simmering stews, cooking risottos, grilling meat or gyoza, and even for making fondue and pasta! It’s the perfect addition for family nights and for impressing your guests at any potluck event.

Once the cooking pan is set in the main body, which houses the heating element, dishes can be prepared on various temperatures, ranging from 280°F to 430°F. The skillet can also be set to Keep Warm. This Electric Skillet can also be used on a gas stovetop burner to help precook ingredients for stews or other dishes simmered in liquids.

Along with the cooking pan, the tempered glass lid is a cook’s best friend. Not only does this lid let you safely monitor cooking, and of course, prevent splatters, but it helps foods and liquids cook faster.

And that is how this great skillet works! Even better, this skillet is built with safety in mind, just like our other products. First, the power cord easily detaches in case it’s accidentally tugged. Second, the handles on the cooking pan stay cool, preventing burns when transferring the pan.

And of course, each component of the skillet is easy to maintain. Simply wipe the main body and heating element with a damp cloth, wash the pan and lid with warm water and mild dish detergent and let everything dry thoroughly.

Ok, now that we’re done talking about the awesome features, we really need to get to the food!

WHAT. DOES. THIS. SKILLET. COOK?

Well, we love the traditional Japanese dishes that we make in this skillet. Everything from Japanese-Style Teriyaki Chicken and Chanko-Nabe to Sukiyaki and Salmon Kobumaki Kelp Rolls, served during the New Year festivities! We also love the Western savories that cook up beautifully in this skillet, like like Fava Bean Risotto and Chicken Breast Cacciatore. But we really go for the unexpected dishes that we make in this skillet like Choco late Crème Brulee and Thick Style Matcha Hotcakes.

Chocolate Crème Brulee

You’ve got to try all of the recipes on our website (and don’t forget to tag your photos with #zojirushi on Instagram)!

Don’t forget to follow us on our blog and Instagram to keep up on all of our delicious Japanese and Western recipes and how to cook them with all of our amazing products!