Kushikatsu

Kushikatsu are bite-sized, battered and deep-fried foods served on bamboo skewers. A popular Osaka dish. Reputedly developed there as an easier way to eat deep-fried pork cutlets. But now as ingredients anything that can be skewered can in fact be used. Popular are chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, squid, fried fish, shiitake, eggplant, asparagus, potato, sweet potato, lotus root and so on.

 

[Kushikatsu skewers]

Before eating the skewer can be dipped in a thick sauce (based on Japanese Worcester cause). As other people use the same dip sauce, you are only allowed to dip once, before taking the first bite from your skewer. Sometimes cabbage leaves are eaten with the skewers.

 

[Dip sauce and cabbage for Kushikatsu]

There are special kushikatsu restaurants, but the dish is also available in izakaya and sometimes sold from street stalls.