Karashi facts for kids
Karashi (芥子, 辛子, からし, or カラシ) is a special type of mustard. It is used a lot in Japanese cuisine. People use it as a condiment (something added to food for flavor) or as a seasoning.
What is Karashi?
Karashi is made from the crushed seeds of a plant called Brassica juncea. This plant is also known as brown mustard or Indian mustard. Karashi usually comes in two forms: a powder or a paste.
If you have the powder form, you can make it into a paste. Just mix it with a little warm water. Then, let it sit covered for a few minutes. This helps the flavors develop. Karashi is much stronger than the mustards you might find in America or France. So, a small amount goes a long way!
How is Karashi Used?
Karashi is often served with many popular Japanese dishes. For example, you might find it with tonkatsu, which is a breaded pork cutlet. It also goes well with oden, a dish with various ingredients simmered in broth. People also eat it with nattō (fermented soybeans) and shumai (steamed dumplings).
Karashi can also be part of a dipping sauce. If you mix it with mayonnaise, it becomes "karashi mayonnaise." If you mix it with vinegar and miso (a savory paste), it's called "karashi su miso." It adds a nice spicy kick to these sauces.
Special Dishes with Karashi
Karashi is used to make a type of tsukemono (Japanese pickles). One example is pickled Japanese eggplant, which is called karashi-nasu.
In the city of Kumamoto, there is a very famous dish called karashi renkon. This dish uses lotus root. The lotus root is filled with karashi-flavored miso. Then, it's deep-fried until crispy. Finally, it's sliced and served. It's a unique and tasty snack!
Gallery
Karashi is served with various dishes. It is considerably stronger than American or French mustard, so a small amount is enough.
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Cutlet sandwich with Karashi-Butter spread.
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Oden with Karashi (bottom left)
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Shumai lunchbox with Karashi (upper left)
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Karashi Renkon, a lotus root stuffed with Karashi-miso.
See also
In Spanish: Karashi para niños
