Culture

Have you heard of the Japanese curry (or Kare)? It’s a mouth-watering, piping hot dish in which vegetables and meat (usually beef) are stewed with spices, served over rice. The dish’s popularity both domestically and internationally is impressive, but what’s more fascinating is the story behind its transformation over time. In this chapter, I will introduce how Japanese curry, originally brought by the British, was adapted and domesticated throughout the decades in Japan.

It was one afternoon in a French classroom. Our Moroccan French teacher, Monsieur Alami, came in with an enormous grocery shopping bag carried over his shoulder. The students observed him as he revealed a plain-featured silver pot from the bag. What could be inside? When he eventually lifted the lid, everyone leaned in–it was Moroccan mint tea!