Food - Drink
Chicken Katsu Vs. Karaage: What's The Difference?
By HALDAN KIRSCH
Fried chicken is a staple in many global cuisines, and in Japan, two of the most famous fried chicken dishes are chicken katsu and chicken karaage. These two foods are rich, crispy, and deep-fried, but they are very different in several ways, starting with the cuts of chicken used to make each dish.
Chicken katsu is made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which are white meat, while karaage is traditionally made with juicer skin-on thighs, which are dark meat. The chicken breast in katsu is also usually tenderized and pounded thin before it is fried whole, while karaage is marinated and cut into bite-sized pieces, then deep-fried.
Lastly, katsu is coated in crunchy panko bread crumbs before it is fried, while karaage is coated with potato starch for a light and crisp crust. "Karaage" is also the name of the coating and frying technique used to make chicken karaage, and was developed in the 1600's alongside the similar, more famous method of frying known as tempura.