Katsu (かつ orカツ) is a crispy fried cutlet of meat or seafood made with Japanese panko breadcrumbs and then served with Japanese Worcestershire sauce (katsu sauce) and mustard.
The name katsu, which is a shortened form of katsuretsu (カツレツ), which means cutlet. Inspired by the French dish “côtelette de veau” (pan-fried veal cutlet coated in breadcrumbs, katsu is one of many Western foods that, after a little modification, has become a key part of Japanese cuisine.
Its origins are said to date back to the Meiji Era and a Tokyo restaurant that wanted to offer a European-style meat cutlets with a Japanese flair. Now, katsu can be found everywhere from convenience store takeaway bento boxes, to yoshoku (Western-style Japanese food) eateries and katsu specialty restaurants. A highly versatile meal, katsu is served in everything from curry to sandwiches.
While a variety of katsu are available, the most popular type of katsu is made with pork, called tonkatsu (とんかつ). Other options include chicken, minced meat, beef, and seafood.
Today, many Japanese students eat katsu before a major test, exam, or sporting event because the word katsu (かつ; cutlet) is a homonym of katsu (勝つ； to win) and it is believed that eating katsu will bring the students victory.
Get katsu to-go or have it delivered to your home from:
NIPPON Restaurant (open Wednesday-Sunday)
SHUN + Yakitori Gunso (open Wednesday-Sunday)
Let’s continue to support local Japanese restaurants!
—by GEN-J Facilitator Keiko Tsubokura