What is Katsu?
A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Katsu
Katsu is a popular Japanese style of breaded and fried food. It can be made with different ingredients, including pork, chicken, fish, and more.
It’s crispy on the outside and juicy or tender on the inside, depending on the type of katsu.
Tonkatsu specifically means a pork cutlet, while “katsu” can refer to different types of breaded and fried cutlets. 🍽️
Popular Types of Katsu 🍽️
Tonkatsu（とんかつ）
A breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet. Two common types.
- Rosu-katsu…Made from pork loin
- Hire-katsu…Made from pork tenderloin.
Chicken Katsu（チキンカツ）
A breaded and deep-fried chicken cutlet. Chicken katsu is commonly made with chicken breast or thigh.
Fish Katsu（フィッシュカツ）
A breaded and deep-fried fish cutlet. Different types of fish can be used, depending on the restaurant or region.
Ebi Katsu（エビカツ）
A fried cutlet made with chopped or minced shrimp mixed together and coated in breadcrumbs. It’s different from ebi fry, where whole shrimp are breaded and fried.
Menchi Katsu（メンチカツ）
A breaded and deep-fried patty made with minced meat, usually beef, pork, or a mixture of both.
How to Eat Tonkatsu 🍽️
At some tonkatsu restaurants, you may be given sesame seeds and a small mortar and pestle.
①Grind the sesame seeds
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②Add tonkatsu sauce
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③Mix them together
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④Enjoy your tonkatsu! 🐷
The exact way of serving it can vary from restaurant to restaurant. This sesame and sauce combination is especially common at tonkatsu restaurants.
What is Katsu Usually Served With? 🍽️
🥬 Shredded cabbage — A common side dish served with tonkatsu.
🥄 Tonkatsu sauce — A thick, rich sauce commonly served with tonkatsu.
🌶️ Japanese mustard（からし） — A spicy condiment often enjoyed with tonkatsu. It adds a sharp kick and balances the richness of the fried cutlet.
🌿 Sesame seeds（すりごま） — At some tonkatsu restaurants, you can grind sesame seeds and mix them with tonkatsu sauce for extra aroma and flavour.
🥢 Grated daikon & ponzu（大根おろし＋ポン酢） — A refreshing option that helps balance the richness of fried katsu.
🍋 Lemon（レモン） — Some people squeeze lemon over katsu for a fresh, citrusy flavour.
🧂 Salt（塩） — Some types of katsu are also enjoyed with salt, especially when you want to taste the meat and crispy coating more directly.
🥚 Tartar sauce — Often served with chicken katsu or ebi katsu.
🌿 Wasabi（わさび） — More commonly enjoyed with beef katsu or certain katsu dishes served with salt.
Popular Katsu Dishes 🍽️
Katsu Curry（カツカレー）
A Japanese curry dish topped with a crispy katsu cutlet, usually served with rice.
Katsudon（カツ丼）
A rice bowl topped with a katsu cutlet, egg, and onions cooked in a savoury sauce.
Katsu Sando（カツサンド）
A sandwich filled with a crispy katsu cutlet, usually with shredded cabbage or sauce between slices of bread.
Regional Katsu Styles 🇯🇵
Different regions of Japan have their own unique katsu dishes and sauces. Here are a few regional favourites to look out for!
Tare-katsu Don（タレカツ丼） — Niigata
A Niigata specialty made with thin, crispy pork cutlets dipped in a sweet and savoury soy sauce-based sauce and served over rice.
Sauce Katsu Don（ソースカツ丼） — Fukui
A Fukui specialty made with crispy pork cutlets dipped in a savoury Worcestershire-style sauce and served over rice.
Miso Katsu（味噌カツ） — Nagoya, Aichi
A Nagoya specialty made with katsu served with a rich miso-based sauce. It’s a well-known local dish in Nagoya and the surrounding Aichi area.
Demi-Katsu Don（デミカツ丼） — Okayama
An Okayama specialty featuring a crispy katsu cutlet served over rice with a rich demi-glace sauce.
Dietary Information
Katsu varies depending on the type of meat, seafood, coating, sauce, and other ingredients used.
Common ingredients that may be important for dietary requirements include pork, beef, chicken, fish and seafood, wheat, eggs, soy, and dairy.
The coating is usually made with breadcrumbs and may contain wheat and eggs. Some sauces may also contain soy or other ingredients.
Always check the ingredients and cooking methods if you have allergies or specific dietary requirements.
Try different types of Japanese katsu and find your favourite! 🍽️✨️