Nikujaga is a Japanese dish made with meat and potatoes, simmered with vegetables, soy sauce, and sake. It’s often served with rice and miso soup and is a popular dish at izakayas. The dish was created by chefs of the Imperial Japanese Navy and is most commonly prepared during the winter.
Nikujaga is a dish from Japan that mainly consists of meat and potatoes. The term actually means “potato meat” in Japanese. The potatoes serve as the main ingredient of the dish, while the meat serves as the flavoring component.
To make nikujaga, the meat is first added to a pan of hot oil and browned. Then the chopped potatoes and other ingredients such as vegetables, peppers, soy sauce, onions, sugar and some rice-based alcoholic drink called sake are added to the pan. It is left to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Nikujaga is usually eaten with steamed white rice and miso soup. The latter is mainly made from a seasoning of fermented rice and barley or soy called miso; and dashi stock, the most common form of which is seaweed and skipjack tuna. Nikujaga can be considered a seasonal dish, as it is most commonly prepared during the winter time. It’s also a popular dish at izakayas, which are establishments in Japan that serve as casual places to unwind after a hard day’s work and serve food and drink.
The type of meat most often used to make nikujaga is thinly sliced beef. Minced or minced meat is also commonly used. In parts of eastern Japan, pork is used instead of beef. Carrots and peas are the most popular vegetable choices.
The chefs of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which was Japan’s navy during its status as an empire from 1868 to 1947, are credited with creating nikujaga. According to legend, Togo Heihachiro, recognized as one of Japan’s greatest naval figures and referred to by Western writers as “the Nelson of the East”, wished to emulate the beef stew he saw the British Royal Navy prepare during his stay in Great Britain during 1870. The Japanese version of this European dish came about soon after.
In the 1990s, Maizuru, a small town located in Kyoto Prefecture, was considered the hometown of nikujaga due to its location as a base for the IJN. Another story is that the dish originated in the city of Kure, which is located in Hiroshima Prefecture. The government says Togo ordered IJN chefs to prepare the dish during his time as chief of staff at the city’s naval base.
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