Japanese Food Tips

Menchikatsu are made by mixing 100% ground beef or ground beef and pork with chopped onions, kneading the mixture, forming it into hamburger patties or balls, coating it with flour, beaten egg and bread crumbs, and deep frying it in oil. This dish is similar to korokke (Japanese-style croquettes) that use potatoes. Menchikatsu is served with Worcestershire sauce or Worcestershire-based sauce. When eating this dish, the juices from the meat are considered to be delicious. There are two different stories about how it originated. The first is that it was invented and sold at a Western-style restaurant in Tokyo around 1900. The second is that around 1930, it was invented and sold by a butcher store in Kobe City. Menchikatsu is available in Japan at many butcher stores, supermarkets and convenience stores. Frozen menchikatsu are also available at supermarkets and can be deep-fried at home or heated in a microwave oven. We have a recipe for menchikatsu on our website if you would like to try making it.