• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Time Travel Turtle

A travel blog with stories beyond the brochure

  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • BY COUNTRY
    • WEST EUROPE
      • Belgium
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Liechtenstein
      • Luxembourg
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • NORTH EUROPE
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • SOUTH EUROPE
      • Cyprus
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Holy See
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Portugal
      • San Marino
      • Spain
    • EAST EUROPE
      • Austria
      • Belarus
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Hungary
      • Montenegro
      • Poland
      • Serbia
    • NORTH ASIA
      • China
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Myanmar
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • Antigua & Barbuda
      • Belize
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • AFRICA
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
    • OCEANIA
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • Jordan
      • Turkey
  • MOST POPULAR
    • The world’s oldest backpacker
    • Orangutans in Borneo
    • The need for speed
    • Trying to get out of the slum
    • The lake swamped with tourism
    • Journey into Dreamland
    • The village where life begins again
    • Is Cambodia safe for travellers?
    • Making the perfect gin and tonic
  • UNESCO

Kushikatsu: 30 Days of Japanese Food

January 9, 2022 | Michael Turtle | Leave A Comment

JAPANESE FOOD

Day 21: Kushikatsu

I knew even before I tried kushikatsu that I was going to like it. After all, I had heard it described as ‘a deep fried kebab’.

The Kansai region, around the Japanese city of Osaka, is where this food is particularly popular and that’s where I decided to do my investigations into this magical sounding dish.

The ‘kushi’ in the name refers to the bamboo skewers which the ingredients are put on. Normally the ingredients we’re talking about are chicken, pork, seafood or vegetables… or a combination.

The loaded-up skewer is then dipped into egg, flour and breadcrumbs and then deep-fried in vegetable oil.

kushikatsu, japanese food, japanese dishes, fried food on a stick, snack food in japan

The kushikatsu I tried was a combination of pork and onion, which had been put on the skewer together before being cooked. The flavours seemed to mix together a bit during the cooking and it was hard to tell where one ended and another started when you shoved the whole thing in your mouth.

kushikatsu, japanese food, japanese dishes, fried food on a stick, snack food in japan

As you might expect, this meal is popular as a snack and amongst drinkers because of its greasy nature and the ease in eating something you can just pick up with one hand. Around the nightspots of Osaka, it’s a main fixture at bars, cafes and on the streets.

kushikatsu, japanese food, japanese dishes, fried food on a stick, snack food in japan

I had it at a restaurant in a town called Koyasan, an hour or so south of Osaka.

The pieces of kushikatsu were served with rice, some vegetables, miso soup and hot tea. The whole meal cost 750 yen (US$7.55) which seemed like a good deal considering it’s quite a tourist town and this restaurant was close to the main temples.

>> You can check out the whole list of Japanese food dishes here <<

Reader Interactions

Comments Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

Want Occasional Updates?

Sign up to be the first to hear the latest about the adventures of Time Travel Turtle. You'll also get access to special offers and exclusive news.
Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Search

  • PRIVACY POLICY