Editing Tonkatsu

{{Short description|Japanese dish of deep-fried pork}}
{{Italic title}}{{Distinguish|tonkotsu ramen|tokusatsu}}
{{Expand Japanese|topic=cult|豚カツ|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Tonkatsu
| image            = Tonkatsu_of_Kimukatsu.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = 
| alternate_name   = 
| country          = [[Japan]]
| region           = [[East Asia]]
| creator          = 
| course           = 
| type             = 
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = [[Cutlet]] ([[pork]] fillet or loin), [[Bread crumbs#Panko|panko]], [[cooking oil]]
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}

[[File:Tonkatsu Japan - 2014 12 12.webm|thumb|Freshly-served tonkatsu with shredded cabbage]]
{{nihongo|3='''Tonkatsu'''|2=豚カツ{{lang|en|,}} とんかつ {{lang|en|or}} トンカツ|4={{IPA|ja|toŋkatsɯ|pron}}; "pork [[cutlet]]"}} is a Japanese dish that consists of a [[breaded]], [[Deep frying|deep-fried]] [[pork]] cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with [[Bread crumbs#Panko|panko]] ([[bread crumbs]]), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dishes such as [[katsu curry]] and ''[[katsudon]]''.

== Etymology ==
The word ''tonkatsu'' is a combination of the Sino-Japanese word ''ton'' ({{lang|ja|豚}}) meaning "pig", and ''katsu'' ({{lang|ja|カツ}}), which is a shortened form of ''katsuretsu'' ({{lang|ja|カツレツ}}),<ref name="NKD_Tonkatsu">{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Tonkatsu|script-title=ja:豚カツ|encyclopedia=[[Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]] Concise edition, web version (精選版 日本国語大辞典)|publisher=Shogakukan|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%B1%9A%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84-586629|access-date=2023-10-22|via=kotobank.jp|language=ja|trans-quote="katsu" is a contraction of カツレツ ("katsuretsu").}}</ref> an old transliteration of the English word "[[cutlet]]",<ref name="NKD_Katsuretsu">{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Katsuretsu|script-title=ja:カツレツ|encyclopedia=[[Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]] Concise edition, web version (精選版 日本国語大辞典)|publisher=Shogakukan|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84%E3%83%AC%E3%83%84-45433|access-date=2021-08-16|via=kotobank.jp|language=ja|trans-title=cutlet|trans-quote=cutlet {{interp|... shortened form is}} "katsu".}}</ref><ref name="Shinshu1934">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=katsuretsu |script-title=ja:カツレツ |encyclopedia=新修百科大辭典 |publisher=[[Hakubunkan]] |location=Tokyo, Japan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zG3Ln3xqcxwC&q=%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84%E3%83%AC%E3%83%84&pg=PP320 |via=Google Books |date=1934-04-14 |orig-date=1934-04-05 |at=p262 row 4 |language=ja |trans-quote=From English word "Cutlet" (sliced meat), {{Interp|...}}. Also shortened to カツ ("katsu").}}</ref> which was in turn adopted from the [[French language|French]] word {{lang|fr|côtelette}}.<ref name="OED1933_cutlet">{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Cutlet|encyclopedia=[[OED]]|year=1933|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.271839/page/n1297/mode/1up|via=[[Internet Archive]]|publisher=The Clarendon Press |publication-place=Oxford, UK|edition=1 Corrected re-issue|volume=2 C|page=1293|language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
Tonkatsu originated in Japan during the [[Meiji Era]] in the late 19th century, a dish derived from a [[French cuisine|French]] dish known as ''côtelette de veau'', a veal cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and fried in a pan with butter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Roots of Tonkatsu: A Delicious Fusion of East and West |date=October 2018 |first=Katsuya |last=Yamada |url=https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/html/201810/201810_08_en.html |access-date=27 January 2025 |website=www.gov-online.go.jp}}</ref>

European ''katsuretsu'' ([[loanword]]/[[gairaigo]] for cutlet) was usually made with beef; the pork version was created in 1899 at a restaurant serving European-style foods named [[Rengatei]] in Tokyo, Japan.<ref>{{cite book|title=とんかつの誕生―明治洋食事始め|last=岡田|first=哲|page=166}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=にっぽん洋食物語大全|last=小菅|first=桂子|page=122}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cozw2PdLopgC&pg=PA101|title=Let's Cook Japanese Food!: Everyday Recipes for Home Cooking|last=Kaneko|first=Amy|publisher=Chronicle Books|year=2007|isbn=978-0-8118-4832-9|page=101}}</ref> It is a type of [[yōshoku]]—Japanese versions of [[European cuisine]] invented in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—and was called ''katsuretsu'' or simply ''katsu''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ig9wPZjygnMC&q=katsuretsu&pg=PA421|title=A companion to the anthropology of Japan|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2005|isbn=0-631-22955-8|page=421|editor=Jennifer Ellen Robertson}}</ref>

== Preparation and serving ==
[[File:KatsuSando6515.jpg|thumb|[[Katsu-sando]] (カツサンド), a tonkatsu sandwich, served as an ''[[ekiben]]'']]
Either a {{Nihongo|[[pork fillet]]|ヒレ|hire}} or {{Nihongo|[[pork loin]]|ロース|rōsu}} cut may be used; the meat is usually salted, peppered, dredged lightly in [[flour]], dipped into beaten egg and then coated with [[Bread crumbs#Panko|panko]] ([[bread crumbs]]) before being deep fried.<ref name="Tsuji2007">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fby2Er0seMMC&q=Tonkatsu&pg=PA240|page=240|title=Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art|first1=Shizuo |last1=Tsuji|first2=M. F. K. |last2=Fisher |publisher=Kodansha International|year=2007 |isbn=978-4-7700-3049-8}}</ref>

Tonkatsu is then sliced into bits and served, commonly with shredded cabbage.<ref name="Tsuji2007" /><ref>{{hosking-jfood|159}}</ref> It is most commonly eaten with a thick [[Worcestershire sauce#Japan|Worcestershire]]-style sauce called [[tonkatsu sauce]]<ref name="Tsuji2007" /> or simply ''sōsu'' (sauce), ''[[karashi]]'' (mustard), and perhaps a slice of lemon. It is usually served with rice, [[miso soup]] and ''[[tsukemono]]'' and eaten with chopsticks. It may also be served with ''[[ponzu]]'' and grated ''[[daikon]]'' instead of tonkatsu sauce.<ref name="Japanese Soul Cooking">{{cite book |last1=Ono |first1=Tadashi |last2=Salat |first2=Harris |title=Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, and More from the Streets and Kitchens of Tokyo and Beyond |date=2013 |publisher=Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale |isbn=9781607743538 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mF4me5AKc-wC&q=tonkatsu&pg=PT306 |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref>

== Variations ==
[[File:Katsu curry by luckypines.jpg|thumb|Katsu curry]]
[[File:Tonkatsu_001.jpg|thumb|Tonkatsu, served with rice, soup and condiments]]
[[File:Katsuya-Roppongi.jpg|thumb|Tonkatsu chain restaurant [[:jp:かつや|Katsuya]] in Tokyo, Japan]]
Tonkatsu is also popular as [[katsu curry]], where it is served with [[Japanese curry]], or as ''[[katsudon]]'', simmered with egg and broth, then served on a big bowl of rice; there is also katsu rice, which is pork cutlet served on rice topped with demi-glace sauce. Another popular variation, ''[[katsu-sando]]'' or pork cutlet sandwich, is said to be originated from the Isen, a tonkatsu restaurant. In the 1930s, the manager of the Isen came up with the concept, then improved it by making the sandwich smaller so that its clientele of local [[Geisha|geishas]] could enjoy it without wearing off their lipstick.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/from-geishas-to-the-world-katsu-sando-then-and-now/lqg6wgkvs |title=From geishas to the world: Katsu sando, then and now |date=2022-09-28 |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=[[SBS Food]] |last=Oba |first=Yumi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101003429/https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/from-geishas-to-the-world-katsu-sando-then-and-now/lqg6wgkvs |archive-date=2023-11-01 |url-status=live |publication-place=Australia |language=en}}</ref>

In [[Nagoya]] and surrounding areas, [[miso]] katsu, tonkatsu eaten with a [[Okazaki, Aichi#Hatch%C5%8D miso|hatchō miso]]-based sauce, is a speciality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/629|title=名古屋国際センター &#124; Nagoya International Center|access-date=2013-01-02|archive-date=2019-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610071028/http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/629|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Variations on tonkatsu may be made by sandwiching an ingredient such as [[cheese]] or [[perilla|shiso]] leaf between the meat, and then breading and frying.

Variations of ''katsu'' other than pork:

* [[Chicken katsu]] ({{lang|ja|チキンカツ}}) or [[Chicken katsu|tori katsu]] ({{lang|ja|鶏カツ}}), which uses chicken instead, often appears in [[plate lunch|Hawaiian plate lunches]].
* [[Menchi-katsu]] ({{lang|ja|メンチカツ}}) or minchi katsu ({{lang|ja|ミンチカツ}} mince katsu), is a minced meat patty, breaded and deep fried.
* Hamu katsu ({{lang|ja|ハムカツ}} ham katsu), a similar dish made from [[ham]], is usually considered a budget alternative to tonkatsu.
* Gyū katsu ({{lang|ja|牛カツ}} beef katsu), also known as bīfu katsu, is popular in the [[Kansai]] region around [[Osaka]] and [[Kobe]].

In general, breaded and deep-fried foods are called ''[[furai]]'' ("fry"),<ref name="Nipponica_Furai">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Furai (ryouri) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Nipponica]] web version |publisher=Shogakukan |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%83%95%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%28%E6%96%99%E7%90%86%29-1586721 |access-date=2021-08-16 |edition=constantly updated |language=ja |trans-title=Fry (cooking) |quote=(rough translation): In Western cuisine, "frying" means to deep-fry or sautee in oils or fats. {{interp|...}} In Japan, "furai" refers to foods that are dipped in wheat flour, beaten egg, bread crumbs and then deep-fried, {{interp|...}}. If the ingredient is meat, it is called "chikin katsuretsu", "pōku katsuretsu (tonkatsu)" etc., respectively.{{interp|...}} |script-title=ja:フライ (料理) |via=kotobank.jp}}</ref> such as ''ebi-furai'' (fried prawn)<ref name="Nipponica_Furai"/> and ''aji-furai'' (fried [[horse mackerel]]), but fried meat such as pork, beef and chicken is referred to as ''katsu'' (cutlet).<ref name="NKD_Katsuretsu"/> ''Katsu'' and ''furai'' differ from [[tempura]], which is not breaded but [[Batter_(cooking)|battered]]<ref name="Daijisen_Tempura">No panko appears in definition of tempura: {{Cite encyclopedia |title=Tempura |encyclopedia=Digital [[Daijisen]] (デジタル大辞泉) |publisher=Shogakukan |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%A4%A9%E9%BA%A9%E7%BE%85-578873 |access-date=2021-08-16 |edition=constantly updated |language=ja |quote=(rough translation): 1.{{interp|...ingredients}} dipped in batter made of wheat flour, egg and water, then fried in vegetable oil. Vegetable tempuras are sometimes distinguished and called "shōjin-age". {{interp|...}} |script-title=ja:天麩羅 テンプラ |via=kotobank.jp}}</ref> and typically fried in sesame oil.

In recent years, chicken katsu curry has become extremely popular in the [[United Kingdom]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hargreaves |first=Clare |date=2019-10-09 |title=Forget tikka masala - chicken katsu is the new true British national dish |url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/chicken-katsu-curry-national-dish-tikka-masala-347826 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> to the point that other varieties of Japanese curry and curry sauce are sometimes referred to as katsu erroneously.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-02-12 |title=The U.K. thinks Japanese curry is katsu curry, and people aren't happy about it |url=https://soranews24.com/2020/02/12/the-u-k-thinks-japanese-curry-is-katsu-curry-and-people-arent-happy-about-it/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=SoraNews24 -Japan News- |language=en-US}}</ref> 
[[File:Isen_Katsusando.jpg|thumb|Katsu-sando originated at the Isen in Yushima, Bunkyo City, in 1935.]]

== See also ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Cookbook-inline|Tonkatsu}}
* [[Japanese cuisine]]
* [[List of Japanese dishes#Deep-fried dishes (agemono, 揚げ物)|List of Japanese dishes]] – a category of deep-fried dishes in Japanese cuisine
* [[List of pork dishes]]
* [[Milanesa]]
* [[Schnitzel]]
* [[Dongaseu]] – a Korean dish derived from ''tonkatsu''
* [[Escalope]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Japanese food and drink}}

[[Category:Breaded cutlets]]
[[Category:Deep fried foods of Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese fusion cuisine]]
[[Category:Japanese pork dishes]]
[[Category:Fried pork]]