Breaded and fried chicken known as 唐揚げ karaage is a very popular dish in Japan, both in restaurants and gastropubs and at home in the kitchen.

If you're wondering what the difference between fried chicken and karaage is, as we explained in a previous article, if the chicken meat is seasoned first, then coated with flour, it's karaage. If the chicken meat is coated with a flour containing seasoning in it, then it's fried chicken. That's the traditional thinking, although the division between the two has become vaguer in recent years.

Whatever recipe you're following, there's one thing that many chicken lovers appreciate when it comes to karaage, and that's the perfect combo of a crispy, crunchy golden batter and perfectly seasoned, juicy chicken meat inside.

But getting that crispy, crunchy texture in your batter can be a challenge.

"I wish I knew how to make it sooner!"

That's why a lifehack shared on Twitter has gone viral among fried food lovers in Japan.

It's "How to Make Crispy Karaage," posted by Japanese chef 水飴 Mizuame (@152_153).

Fried chicken breading tends to become soft when it absorbs water. Of course, this means that the meat is juicy and delicious, but for those who like a crispy texture, it may leave something to be desired.

For those who are raving about it, however, Mizuame's lifehack is a veritable "revolution" in karaage preparation. And all it takes is one simple step! The secret?

Add a small amount of water to the batter to create small clumps.

Reproduced with permission from 水飴 Mizuame (@152_153).

The trick to making a crispy, crunchy karaage breading is as simple as that!

With just a little bit of effort, you can level up your crunch game and make your karaage more enjoyable!

Reproduced with permission from 水飴 Mizuame (@152_153).

From the photo, you can almost feel the crunchy texture of the breading!

Incidentally, even when made in this way, the crunchy texture will disappear if you let it sit for too long, so it's recommended to enjoy your crunchy karaage while it's still hot. And if you can't help it, you can restore some of the crunchy texture by reheating it in a toaster before serving.

This lifehack quickly went viral, garnering nearly 183,000 likes and over 22,100 retweets at the time of writing, and eliciting comments such as:

  • "Wow!!! Wish I knew about this sooner! Absolutely delicious!"
  • "Surely this is a revolution in karaage preparation.... Okay, I'll do it tonight!"
  • "What useful information. I hope it spreads around the world."

Mizuame commented, "This is the first time I experienced fried food so good that it makes me want to cook it and eat it even in the temperatures are soaring!"

Why don't you put this method into practice and start a crunchy "karaage revolution" of your own!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.