The city's entire reputation as the karaage capital of Japan is now on the line and hundreds of years of cultural culinary history is at stake.įirst, a definition of karaage (pronounced like "karate", except you substitute a hard "g" for the "t"): it's a type of fried chicken that's famous in Japan for both its simplicity of execution and complexity of flavours. With the added scrutiny and official tasters coming into play, Nakatsu City karaage shops have more to lose and more to prove than your average shop across the country. Why does any of this matter? And why is this small town of Nakatsu considered to have the best fried chicken in Japan, and quite possibly the world? But in 2023, the rules are changing, judges are being brought in to taste test, and the true crown for the best karaage will ultimately be rewarded. Up until 2022, this contest was based entirely on popularity, with common denizens getting to vote on their favourite places. The Karaage Grand Prix is the annual competition in Japan whose winner gets to boast that they have the crispiest, juiciest, most flavourful fried chicken, and nearly 1,000 shops enter to compete. While shops from massive metropolises like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka should be dominating any large-scale contest, it's shops from one small town, Nakatsu City, located in the Oita prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, that typically garner the most awards. This delightfully crunchy treat is so beloved that every year, hundreds of thousands of people vote in a country-wide competition to determine which karaage shop serves the best ones. The little karaage, one of the most popular snacks in Japan, is a delicate and intricate version of fried chicken that is a staple across the country.
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