Nikujaga
Japanese meat and potato dish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nikujaga (肉じゃが; lit. 'meat [and] potatoes'[a]) is a Japanese dish of meat, potatoes, and onions stewed in dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, sometimes with ito konnyaku and vegetables like carrots.[1] Nikujaga is a kind of nimono. It is usually boiled until most of the liquid has been reduced.[2] Thinly sliced beef is the most common meat used, although minced or ground beef is also popular.[3] Pork is often used instead of beef in eastern Japan.[3]
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Nikujaga is a common home-cooked winter dish, served with a bowl of white rice and miso soup. It is also sometimes seen in izakayas.[citation needed]
History
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Nikujaga was invented by chefs of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 19th century.[1] One story is that in 1895, Tōgō Heihachirō ordered naval cooks to create a version of the beef stews as served in the British Royal Navy. Tōgō was stationed in Maizuru, Kyoto, which established this Imperial Japanese Navy base as the birthplace of nikujaga.[4]
The municipal government of Kure, Hiroshima, responded in 1898 with a competing claim that Tōgō commissioned the dish while serving as chief of staff of the Kure naval base.[5]
