Terrific article by Norimitsu Onishi for the New York Times titled Spaghetti Stir-Fry and Hambagoo: Japan Looks West, about a number of the Western-influenced dishes that have become staples of Japanese cuisine (Yoshoku)
Yoshoku was born during Japan’s Meiji Restoration, the period that followed this isolationist country’s forced opening by America’s so-called Black Ships in 1854. Japanese were dispatched to Europe and America to learn about Western laws, weapons and industry. They also brought back the cuisine. Shocked to discover how much shorter they were than Westerners, Japanese determined that they would catch up not only economically and militarily but also physically, by eating their food.
I haven’t eaten much of this in Japan but several of these dishes, namely tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlet), and omu rice, which has spawned several chains aimed at school kids, have made it over to Korea.
Haven’t had this though:
Hamburgers were considered American food and called “hambagah,” but the yoshoku version was called “hambagoo.” (The burger was served without the bun and often covered with demiglace — the real thing at expensive restaurants, but mostly out of a bottle elsewhere.) Au gratin dishes, breaded oysters and various croquettes — cream of crab croquettes with white sauce is considered a classic — rounded out the yoshoku menu.
3 responses so far ↓
1 itchy // Mar 28, 2008 at 11:51 pm
You’ve probably had it but called it Salisbury steak. The Japanese version is a bigger, thicker patty but the meat isn’t packed as tightly and cooked to be softer, or at least that’s the version I get in my household (my wife is Japanese).
My memory of Salisbury steak is of a chewy patty covered with extra-salty gravy, thanks to the grouchy ladies of the NY public school cafeterias.
The article is informative and a good reminder for me to get back on Mickey Dee’s if I want blond hair to grow after a thousand years. Did Spurlock’s hair get lighter after three weeks of the Super Size Me diet?
2 Zammer // Mar 29, 2008 at 8:47 am
The difference between Hambaaaaaag and Salisbury steak is that Hambaaaaag is almost all breading and onion. That’s the secret to the greatness, infusing onion into the meat. White Castle does something very similar with their sliders.
3 Shinsano // Mar 29, 2008 at 9:18 am
I’m a little surprised this isn’t more popular in Korea. I think I’ve seen it in window displays of ultra-cheap student food joints that I’d probably be afriad to eat in. I’ve definately had Salisbury steak though.
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