Japanese curry thoughts part 3

This blogpost is introducing @maestfood(@tomokotahara) presents Curry & Wine Night @moduscoffee. Tickets link is here.

Curry is an immensely popular comfort food in Japan. But what elevates this ordinary comfort food to a special culinary experience?See our instagram posts how it is special.

By the way, here is the series of Curry thoughts.

Part 3.

This is the reason why I came up with the idea to drizzle a finishing sauce over the curry.(we will serve a topping sauce with the curry rice)

In the tapestry of Japanese culture, culinary traditions weave a vibrant thread that reflects the nation's history and influences.

As we delve deeper into the world of curry, an integral part of Japanese cuisine, we encounter not only recipes and flavors but also personal anecdotes that shed light on the significance of this dish. 

In this third installment of our series, we peek into the life of my father, a man whose culinary habits mirror a time when flavors were robust and ingenuity was celebrated.

My father, a quintessential representative of the early Showa-era and the post-war period, possesses a culinary disposition that resonates with the essence of his generation. An individual who staunchly refrains from donning the apron, he prefers savoring the delights prepared by others. 

However, his adoration for a sumptuous meal knows no bounds. This peculiarity came to light one day when I, brimming with culinary enthusiasm, created a delightful salad replete with a crafted dressing.

Yet, much to my surprise, my father opted for an unconventional twist – substituting my dressing with a drizzle of soy sauce. The sheer audacity of this act left me momentarily bewildered. In retrospect, it was not merely an instance of culinary experimentation but a glimpse into the traditionalist mindset that holds steadfast in his heart.

Time has a fascinating way of transforming perspectives, and my father's journey with sauces stands as a testament to this phenomenon. Gradually, he began to appreciate the nuances of my crafted dressings, finding their synergy with the salad's  flavors. 

A nod to the changing times, he adapted his palate to this new reality, embracing the harmony between ingredients and dressings. The shift from soy sauce to the bespoke dressing symbolized an evolution, both in his culinary preferences and the shifting culinary landscape of Japan.

Yet, his affection for sauces remained unwavering. A jar of Bulldog  brand Worcestershire sauce found a permanent place on our dining table, a testament to his fondness for its distinctive tang. His culinary compositions often featured this prized condiment, a signature touch that added a familiar and cherished flavor to the simplest of dishes. The marriage of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce with his daily meals was akin to a special flavors.

A musing that often reminded my mind was the potential risk of an overdose of saltiness in his culinary concoctions. How could one not ponder whether this enthusiasm for sauces, born from a particular era's culinary constraints, might tip the scales of taste? However, it dawned on me that my father's penchant for flavors was more than just a pursuit of taste. It was a tribute to his generation's culinary identity, a nostalgy to the era when soy sauce was commonplace, and Worcestershire sauce symbolized innovation.

Perhaps the allure lay not solely in the taste but in the resonance of heritage and history. My father's culinary choices embodied a cultural ethos, reminding us that flavors transcend the realms of the palate to tell stories of times gone by. The journey of my father's palate traverses not just the dinner table, but through the annals of Japanese history, reflecting a time when ingredients were scarce, and creativity was paramount.

As we savor the flavors of curry and delve into the narratives intertwined with it, we are reminded that every dish holds within it a myriad of stories. In the world of culinary artistry, each taste, each drizzle of sauce, is a brushstroke on the canvas of culture, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experiences. So, the next time I see my father pouring sauces with unbridled enthusiasm, I am reminded not just of a culinary quirk but of a generational legacy that continues to shape our palates and perspectives.