Fried chicken is globally loved dish by people of all ages. Despite its oily and high cholesterol content, it’s a guilty pleasure that not many can resist. This meal is a delight to kids and even adults.
When it comes to fried chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken or the well-known McDonald’s spicy fried chicken immediately comes to mind. However, there is this special fried chicken dish that originates from Southern Japan in the land of Kyushu. This amazing fried chicken dish is well-known as Chicken Nanban.
What makes Chicken Nanban so special is the taste of it that is not merely salty or spicy. It contains a mixture of the flavourful spices, creating a hot, sour and sweet tang in your mouth once you take a bite of it.
What is the Meaning of Nanban?
“Nanban” basically means European countries in old Japanese. This dish, similar to the name’s origin, was influenced by the European when they entered the land of the rising sun centuries ago.
Chicken Nanban is usually eaten with rice, making it a Don. Don means a bowl of rice mixed with different ingredients. This dish has a mixture of traditional Japanese and a hint of Western influence in it.
Chicken Nanban Don has been known for its flavourful ingredients and spices. Once you take a bite of it, you will definitely feel a pang of sweet and sour, a little spicy and hot flavour behind it, leaving you craving for more!
What Do You Mix It With?
While some of the Japanese may eat Chicken Nanban on its own, some will use it to create into their own version of Don.
Chicken Nanban can be a delicious snack for when you crave for something salty and spicy. This is why Chicken Nanban is packed with so much herbs and spices, such as mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, mayonnaise, soy sauce, parsley, don mustard, lemon juice and other flavour enhance ingredients you could ever think of.
Other than eating on its own as a snack, you can consider mixing it with your normal rice, with some chopped onions, carrots slices, or you can even make it into curry don if you love that.
While most of the people use panko or breadcrumbs to make the fried chicken batter, for Chicken Nanban Don, just dip the chicken into rice flour and egg mixture and you are good to go. Consider double frying to make the outer skin layer extra crispy.
Where To Find This Dish?
Actually, this dish is really easy to make on your own. So if you are not in the mood of leaving the comfort of your house, perhaps it is raining outside and you do not want to drench yourself in rain, you can look up the recipe online and make your own version of Chicken Nanban Don.
Other than that, if you would like to know which restaurants to get this amazing dish, check out these Japanese restaurants around your area that might satisfy your cravings! These include restaurants below:
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