. The steaming hot soup is the perfect dish to ward off Sapporo’s freezing winter, which frequently dips into below-zero temperatures.){kind=link}
WRITE. EAT. REPEAT.
by Ian Carandang
Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912) via the British Empire. By the 1870s it started being served in Japan where it gradually adapted into what it is today: A comforting spice-accented stew, simmered with carrots, potatoes, and a protein, with a rich thick brown gravy meant to be poured over hot white rice. Japanese Curry has evolved its own identity, far removed from the fiery and powerfully spiced stews that inspired it into one of the country’s most iconic and beloved foods.
The Japanese love curry so much that enterprising chefs & manufacturers have successfully translated it into various forms like Curry Bread, Instant Curry Ramen, and Curry Udon. But there is one Curry Dish that is still not as well known to Filipino diners unless you’ve visited Sapporo. I present to you: Soup Curry.
Originating in Sapporo, Soup Curry consists of a clear broth flavored with a carefully-chosen blend of spices, topped with a generous amount of vegetables and a protein (traditionally chicken, beef, or seafood). The steaming hot soup is the perfect dish to ward off Sapporo’s freezing winter, which frequently dips into below-zero temperatures.
Although there is no official history of the dish as of yet, locals have widely attributed Soup Curry to two “parents”: A Sapporo Cafe called ‘Ajanta’ which in 1971 served a dish called “Yakuzen Curry”, a soup consisting of more than 30 spices. Originally intended to provide nutrients and aid digestion, it was a broth-based dish without the array of vegetables and meat toppings seen today. It was another curry restaurant called ‘Magic Spice’ founded in 1993, that introduced the innovation of adding chicken and vegetables into the soup. They also coined the term “Soup Curry”, and thus a classic was born.
While they may seem similar, Soup Curry and Curry Ramen/Udon are actually very different. With Curry Ramen, the soup is already completed and the Curry is only added afterwards into the soup in the form of a sauce, resulting in a thicker liquid and a muted flavor. Soup Curry, on the other hand, begins with the spices themselves being the foundation of the broth, which is light on the palate and the flavors clear & distinct. TLDR: Soup Curry is a broth, while Curry Ramen is a watered-down gravy.
The soup base is made of a mix of curry blends, aromatic ginger, garlic, herbs like basil and bay leaf, tomato paste, and mango chutney. The aromatics are heated like Indian curries to wake up the flavor before the water is added. Meat is either seared and simmered along with the broth, or is cooked separately and added into the soup upon plating, along with vegetables like eggplant, asparagus, lotus root, carrots, bell peppers, okra, and kabocha squash.
The heart of Soup Curry is of course the broth. It has the familiar spiced flavor of Japanese Curry, but in a clear, deeply satisfying soup that is light on the palate. When paired with the context of walking around in the snow all day, it delivers a truly exquisite experience. The only reference point I can think of that comes anywhere close is that first sip of steaming hot Bulalo soup in windy Tagaytay in December, but multiplied by 50.
While chicken is the traditional protein, The version I chose was the seafood, because Sapporo is acclaimed for it. My bowl came loaded with shrimps, clams, and mussels that were at the peak of freshness and perfectly cooked. But what truly stood out for me, and almost overshadowed the seafood were the vegetables. Each vegetable was fried individually to bring out the optimum texture and flavor. The vegetables were either lightly seasoned or completely unsalted, as the soup is meant to deliver all the seasoning you need. It was like I was sampling real vegetables for the very first time. Never had a kabocha squash tasted so… Squash-y to me.
The array of vegetables was equal to or even exceeded the amount of protein in the bowl I got, and Soup Curry is most definitely a vegetable-forward dish. As an aspiring powerlifter who craves and eats a large amount of meat, I can personally attest that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the vegetables here. I could easily envision an all-vegetable version of this with no loss of experience and would say that this is a dish that Vegans absolutely must master and add to their repertoire.
It’s served with a bowl of rice to presumably fill up the corners and make you full, but I finished my bowl and didn’t touch the rice at all. The closest thing to a complaint I can make is that the portion wasn’t big enough and I could easily finish three bowls of this easily.
In the Philippines, Soup Curry is still currently more of an underground dish primarily known to serious foodies (Japanese chain curry house Coco Ichibanya currently does not offer it on their menu), but judging by the amount of Tagalog I randomly heard in Sapporo while I was there, more than a few Filipinos have now come back with fond memories of Soup Curry and would probably love to revisit their Sapporo adventure via the sense memories of a steaming hot bowl. It is this writer’s humble opinion that the first local restaurant to authentically deliver that experience will reap the benefits.