One of the foods from my country that I miss the most is “croquettes”. They consist of a bechamel batter with meat, fried in oil. And why am I mentioning them in an article about menchi–katsu? Stay to find out in this article!
But first… what is a menchi–katsu?
It is basically a deep-fried dish prepared from minced meat, typically beef, pork or both. If you know some Japanese, you might be able to guess what it is and imagine it, as ‘menchi’ means ‘minced meat’, and ‘katsu’ means ‘cutlet’.
Where is it sold?
If you go to any bento shop, especially in salaryman areas, you will find bentos with menchi–katsu easily. Also, you can find it in teishoku or set meal restaurants, where you will always find it served with rice, miso soup, some pickles, and sometimes cabbage. Many butcher shops also prepare their own menchi–katsu with the meat they sell. You can usually buy them by the piece in these types of establishments, so it can be a good snack if you are walking down the street and suddenly get hungry.
Why does it remind me of my country?
As I have described above, in my country it is very common to make croquettes at home. In Japan and in many countries around the world, croquettes are also eaten. While in Japan they are usually filled with potatoes, in my house they are usually made with chicken or beef. Even though menchi–katsu uses minced meat and tastes different from croquettes, there is something about them that makes me feel at home. I guess it could be the crispy batter, the panko, or the mix of flavors. If you want to treat yourself after a long day of sightseeing or working in Japan, I recommend having a menchi–katsu as a treat.
