Image: Wikimedia Commons
Kanazawa Curry is a local-style curry that developed in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, characterized by its distinctive presentation: a thick, dark roux topped with a layer of shredded cabbage, a pork cutlet, and sauce. The Kanazawa Curry Association defines Kanazawa Curry by five elements: the roux is thick and rich; shredded cabbage is served as a side; it is plated on a stainless steel dish; it is eaten with a fork or a spork; and the cutlet is topped with sauce. Its roots trace back to the Western-style restaurant 'Yoshoku Tanaka,' which opened in 1961; several shops that spun off or descended from it spread across Kanazawa, each developing its own take and refining the style now recognized today. The name 'Kanazawa Curry' itself is relatively recent, first coming into use when Gogo Curry expanded outside the prefecture; locally, shops had long been known simply by their own names, such as 'Turban' or 'Chan-Curry.'
Origin
The roots of Kanazawa Curry lie in 'Yoshoku Tanaka,' a Western-style restaurant opened in Kanazawa in 1961 by Tanaka Yoshikazu. As his recipes and methods were passed on, several shops emerged, including Turban Curry, Kitchen Yuki, and Curry no Champion, each developing independently. The style of pairing a thick roux with cabbage and a cutlet is thought to have already taken shape in Kanazawa by around 1963 at the latest.
History
In 1966, Miyajima Yukio opened 'Kitchen Yuki' in the underground mall of Kanazawa Station, one of several shops that branched off independently from Yoshoku Tanaka and spread throughout the city. The name 'Kanazawa Curry' was not used at first, with local shops known simply by their own names, such as 'Turban' or 'Chan-Curry'; the name spread nationwide only after Gogo Curry adopted it upon expanding into Shinjuku.
Features
The Kanazawa Curry Association defines Kanazawa Curry by five features: the roux is thick and rich; shredded cabbage is served as a side; it is plated on a stainless steel dish; it is eaten with a fork or a spork; and the cutlet is topped with sauce. Compared with Western-style curry, the roux is closer to black in color and richer, and it is popular for its hearty way of eating — digging in vigorously with the cutlet and sauce mixed together.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Loved widely from students to working adults, it has become a soul food of Kanazawa residents, valued as a hearty, satisfying meal. Expansion outside the prefecture has also progressed, and it is now known nationwide as a signature local dish of Kanazawa.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
Compared with home-style Western curry, the roux is closer to black in color and richer, and layering the cutlet with sauce is a major difference. Serving shredded cabbage on a stainless steel dish and eating with a fork is also a style unique to specialty shops.
Famous Shops
カレーのチャンピオン 野々市本店
石川県野々市市高橋町20-17
One of the long-established shops descended from Yoshoku Tanaka. The L-size cutlet curry is from around 1,100 yen (as of the September 2024 price revision).
View details →ターバンカレー 総本店
石川県金沢市広坂1-1-48 ウナシンビル1F
A long-established shop that became independent from Yoshoku Tanaka, known as one connected to the roots of Kanazawa Curry.
ゴーゴーカレー 金沢駅総本山
石川県金沢市木ノ新保町1-1 金沢百番街あんと内
The shop that spread the name 'Kanazawa Curry' nationwide. The loin cutlet curry is from around 950 yen.
View details →キッチンユキ
石川県金沢市武蔵町15-1 金沢エムザ地下1F
Founded in 1966 by Miyajima Yukio in the underground mall of Kanazawa Station, one of the roots of 'Kanazawa Black Curry.'