Public service announcement

Katsu is not a flavour.

It's a breadcrumbed cutlet. Flour, egg, panko, hot oil. That's the whole thing. It has always been the whole thing.

See what katsu is Katsu or not?
This is katsu. Tap to slice it.
Seen on UK shelves

Know the signs of katsu confusion

It affects shoppers across the UK every day, and most don't know they have it. Tick any that apply. Be honest. The cutlet already knows.

What katsu actually is

Four layers and a pan of oil. If what you're eating didn't go through these steps, it isn't katsu. It might be delicious. It still isn't katsu.

  1. 1

    The cutlet

    Pork loin for tonkatsu, chicken thigh or breast for chicken katsu. Pounded flat so it cooks evenly.

  2. 2

    Flour

    A light dusting, so the egg has something to hold on to.

  3. 3

    Beaten egg

    The glue. Without it, the crumbs end up in the bottom of the fryer.

  4. 4

    Panko

    Coarse, airy Japanese breadcrumbs. This is where the crunch comes from, and the entire point.

Fry at 170–180°C until golden, rest for two minutes, then slice into strips.

カツ
katsu /ˈkat.sɯ/ · noun
Short for カツレツ katsuretsu, the Japanese way of saying the English word cutlet. So "katsu" literally means cutlet.
It also sounds like 勝つ, "to win", which is why students in Japan eat katsudon before exams. Nobody revises on katsu crisps.

Asking for katsu flavour is like asking for schnitzel flavour.

Both are breadcrumbed, fried cutlets. Neither is a flavour.

That was curry. It was curry the whole time.

The mild, sweet, golden sauce people call "katsu" is Japanese curry, カレー karē. Pour it over a katsu and you get katsu curry. Put it on a crisp and you get a curry crisp.

Katsu +curry sauce =Katsu curry✓

A breadcrumbed cutlet with Japanese curry. Usually with rice. Lovely.

Katsu curry −katsu =Curry✓

Take the cutlet away and the curry is still there. It was never the cutlet's flavour.

Katsu curry −curry =Katsu✓

Take the curry away and you still have katsu. Try it with tonkatsu sauce and cabbage.

Crisp +curry powder ="Katsu crisp"✕

Check the bag. You will find no cutlet. You will find curry seasoning.

A typical Japanese curry is onion and carrot cooked with turmeric, cumin, coriander and fenugreek, a little apple or honey, and thickened with a roux.

About "naked katsu"

Yes, it's a real product on UK shelves. No, it doesn't make sense.

Katsubreadcrumbed cutlet

Katsu is defined by its coat. Take off the breadcrumbs and see what's left.

A cutlet without panko is a piece of chicken. Add curry sauce and it's chicken curry. That's a fine dinner with a perfectly good name already.

One question: is there a cutlet?

If it has a breadcrumbed, fried cutlet in it, it's katsu. If it doesn't, it isn't.

Katsu

  • DishWhat it is
  • TonkatsuCrumbed pork cutlet
  • Chicken katsuCrumbed chicken cutlet
  • Katsu curryKatsu with curry sauce
  • KatsudonKatsu and egg on rice
  • Katsu sandoKatsu in a sandwich
  • Menchi katsuCrumbed mince patty

Not katsu

  • On the labelWhat it is
  • Katsu crispsCurry crisps
  • Katsu mayoCurry mayo
  • Katsu noodlesCurry noodles
  • Katsu hummusCurry hummus
  • Katsu sauceCurry sauce
  • Katsu soupCurry soup, or a very soggy cutlet
  • Naked katsuChicken with curry sauce

Together, we can put the cutlet back in katsu.

Look for crumbs

Before you call something katsu, check it has a breadcrumb coat. No coat, no katsu.

Say "curry"

If it tastes of Japanese curry, call it curry. It's a great word and it's been waiting patiently.

Spread the word

Gently tell a friend. Then tell them again in the crisp aisle when they forget.