Nikujaga

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nikujaga (Japanese:肉じゃが) (meaning meat-potato) is a Japanese dish of meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy, sometimes with ito konnyaku and vegetables. Thinly sliced beef is the most common meat used, although mince is also popular. Pork is often used instead of beef in eastern Japan.

It is a common home-cooked winter dish, served with a bowl of white rice and miso soup. It is also sometimes seen in izakayas.

It was first made by chefs of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 19th Century. It was inspired by beef stews served in the British Royal Navy which Japanese naval legend Togo Heihachiro encountered while studying naval science in Britain. Upon his return to Japan, he commissioned a Japanese version of the dish for use in the Japanese Navy because of its nutritional value.