{{Short description|Japanese curry-filled fried pastry}} {{Expand Japanese|topic=cult|カレーパン|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox prepared food | name = Curry bread | image = Curry-bun,curry-pan,katori-city,japan.JPG | image_size = 250px | caption = Curry bread | alternate_name = karē pan | country = Japan | region = | creator = Nakata Toyoharu (?) | course = | type = Bread | served = | main_ingredient = Dough, Japanese curry, bread crumbs | variations = | calories = | other = | year = 1927 (?) }}
thumb|''Yaki karē pan'' (baked curry bread) {{Nihongo|'''Curry bread'''|カレーパン|karē pan}} is a popular Japanese food consisting of Japanese curry (or other types of curry) wrapped in a piece of dough, which is then coated in bread crumbs and deep fried.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sen|first=Colleen Taylor|title=Curry: a Global History|url=https://archive.org/details/curryglobalhisto00senc|url-access=limited|year=2009|publisher=Reaktion Books|location=London|isbn=9781861895226|page=[https://archive.org/details/curryglobalhisto00senc/page/n117 116]}}</ref> On occasion it is baked instead of deep-fried, but deep-frying is the most common method of cooking. Curry bread is usually found in bakeries and convenience stores.
== History == The exact origin of curry bread in Japan is unknown, but it is often said that it was created in 1927 by a man named Nakata Toyoharu.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=カレーパンの起源 – 日本カレーパン協会 |url=https://currypan.jp/currypan/history/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=currypan.jp}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=歴史 {{!}} 全日本カレーパン振興会、ニュースサイトのカレーパン通信。カレー総研/カレー大學が運営 |url=https://curry-pan.jp/academy/history |access-date=2024-07-09 |language=ja}}</ref> It was during this time period that foods from Western countries were becoming popular in Japan and many businesses were experimenting with making Japanese-style Western dishes.<ref name=":0" /> As curry was introduced to Japan by Anglo-Indian Royal Navy officers, curry bread was originally called "Western food bread" (洋食パン, ''yōshoku pan'') when it was first sold in Tokyo during the early Shōwa era.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Itoh |first=Makiko |date=2011-08-26 |title=Curry — it's more 'Japanese' than you think |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/08/26/food/curry-its-more-japanese-than-you-think/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> It eventually became widely referred to as "curry bread" (カレーパン, ''karē pan'') due to its curry filling.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=カレーパンの歴史 {{!}} カレーパンの平川 |url=http://currypan.com/%e3%82%ab%e3%83%ac%e3%83%bc%e3%83%91%e3%83%b3%e3%81%ae%e6%ad%b4%e5%8f%b2/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |language=ja}}</ref>
==In popular culture== ''Karē pan man'' ({{lit.|Curry bread man}}) is one of the superheroes in ''Anpanman'', with a head made out of curry bread.<ref>Sen 2009, p. 116</ref> In addition to his special moves, "Curry Punch" and "Curry Kick", he also attacks by spraying hot curry from his mouth onto his opponent. <!-- I suggest that NO MORE TRIVIAL CULTURAL REFERENCES are added here, until the article has some actual content. Resist the temptation please. See talk page for signature. -->
==See also== * {{annotated link|Bunny chow}} * {{annotated link|Curry puff}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{Commonscat-inline|Curry breads}} *[http://www.justhungry.com/japanese-curry-bread-kare-pan How to make curry bread] {{Portal bar|Japan|Food}} {{Japanese food and drink|state=autocollapse}} {{Bread}} {{Japanese bread}}
Category:Japanese cuisine Category:Japanese breads Category:Curry dishes Category:Japanese curry
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