# "Golden Curry" product - anyone use it or familiar with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 2, 2026, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949 "2026-04-02T01:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/1 "2026-04-02T01:49:47Z")
I mean this stuff: [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTklO_8JaCjgYRQdZUiYkWu_Buk9ghkCssPlyDXgD5Duw&s=10) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTklO_8JaCjgYRQdZUiYkWu_Buk9ghkCssPlyDXgD5Duw&s=10) I’ve seen it in the grocery store for years but never tried it. I think there are some variations. Is it good? Am I missing something? I do have pretty bad FOMO. How do you prepare it (if you do)? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/2 "2026-04-02T02:05:44Z")
I eat it a lot, one of several different brands of Japanese style curry, but it’s my husband who does the cooking, if you want me to I can ask him. Basically what you get is a curry sauce in a hard form that you melt, and everything else (meat, vegetables) you provide and cook like you would a stew. There are probably directions in English on the package. Then usually serve it over a bed of white rice. I like these a lot, and you can get different levels of (relative) hotness. It’s not hot like an Indian curry, it’s thick and rich like a heavy gravy, and on the hottest end you’ll want to have some water handy. I don’t think you would find the Medium Hot from that package to be particularly hot, but it depends on your tolerance. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/3 "2026-04-02T02:23:03Z")
I used to use it as a quick dinner fairly often. It’s fine, not nearly as good as the curry I make from scratch, but perfectly acceptable. Tastes vary of course, but it’s worth a try to see if you like it. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/4 "2026-04-02T02:51:59Z")
Yeah, basically what Roderick\_Femm said. It’s an easy-to-make sauce dehydrated and pressed into the form of something like chocolate, for making Japanese curry. I like it, and it’s pretty easy to make. There’s a basic recipe written somewhere on the box, which is basically to stir fry meat, onion, potatoes and carrots, add some water and the sauce mix, then serve over rice. It’s a Japanese curry, so a very different style than an Indian or a Thai curry, significantly less spicy and more rich. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/5 "2026-04-02T03:04:20Z")
> [@keeganst94](#): > > . It’s a Japanese curry, so a very different style than an Indian or a Thai curry, significantly less spicy and more rich. I was wondering about this. I always associate the word _curry_ with Indian cooking. So it was _Japanese_ in the name that baffled me. Now that I have plumbed the depths of ramen noodle cooking, I’m going to try this stuff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/6 "2026-04-02T03:06:44Z")
It’s been brought up in threads here before. Do a search for “golden curry” and you’ll see other people discussing it. ---
**Author:** ![Varl\_Hobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/91b2a8/32.png) [@Varl\_Hobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Varl_Hobe)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/7 "2026-04-02T03:09:44Z")
Get a kabocha squash to cut up in it. I find that goes really nicely in a Japanese curry. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/8 "2026-04-02T03:12:36Z")
Yeah, that’s my default as well, but really as far as I can tell in English curry basically means “stew from somewhere in Asia”. Although apparently the Japanese curry was introduced to Japan from India by the British, but very heavily modified for Japanese tastes. It’s definitely it’s own thing now though. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/9 "2026-04-02T04:08:44Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > It’s fine, not nearly as good as the curry I make from scratch, but perfectly acceptable. This. If you don’t have time, this is OK. We have it on hand for when we don’t have time to make our own, but for the most part it sits. Conversely, if you don’t cook much or want to make your own curry, this is way better than not having it. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/10 "2026-04-02T06:20:32Z")
That is the curry of my childhood, and I still love it, although I prefer the hot version (it’s not hot at all). Those are blocks of curry roux. You start with veg, add protein of choice, add water, cover and simmer for a bit, then when the veg and protein are nearly cooked, add the curry roux blocks and stir until the blocks are dissolved and the sauce is nice and thick. Serve with/over rice. Japanese curry is NOTHING like a real curry, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/11 "2026-04-02T06:53:19Z")
I mentioned this in the white people food is bland thread. > [@When Did Food Prepared by White People Become Synonymous With Bland?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-food-prepared-by-white-people-become-synonymous-with-bland/1028828/99): > > Curry has been known and popular in the UK since the [18th century](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_in_the_United_Kingdom). > > As a side note, the Japanese navy picked it up from the Royal navy, put it over rice and it became a staple. Even today JNSDF ships each have their own recipe. From the navy it leaked out to civilians and curry rice is one of the main comfort foods there. After being filtered through two cultures though, your typical Indian would be hard to recognize it as curry. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/12 "2026-04-02T11:09:33Z")
I like it a lot, but I never use it by itself, even as a base. But itself there’s not much flavor in my opinion. I add various seasonings, onion, garlic, veggies and meat. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/13 "2026-04-02T11:47:20Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Basically what you get is a curry sauce in a hard form that you melt Is the curry in the OP frozen? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that, but I have bought (Indian style) curry sauces in a jar that I will add cut up chicken to, and sometimes sauteed onion and green pepper. Serve with rice, makes an easy dinner for two. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/14 "2026-04-02T11:50:46Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Is the curry in the OP frozen? No. It’s thermostable at room temperature. Kind of like bouillon. We make it often in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/15 "2026-04-02T12:00:05Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > Japanese curry is NOTHING like a real curry, BTW. By “real curry” I guess you mean Indian curry? Looks like I had a thread on this back in 2019. But I still didn’t try it. > [@What makes a dish "a curry"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-dish-a-curry/832143): > > I watch a lot of British TV shows, and often the characters will say, “Let’s go out for A curry,” or “It’s a good night for A curry,” or “I could murder A curry,” (if it’s a crime show). What makes A dish A curry? As I understand it, what is sold in the USA as “curry powder” isn’t what you would find in India. I think people make their own blends? Or maybe you \*can \*buy curry powder there. I don’t know. I never go anywhere. There’s also this stuff called “Golden Curry” that you can find in the… 😊 And yeah, a search reveals that the subject has been discussed a lot here… * * * I have ingredients on my shopping list, and I’m going to give it a try. Since y’all say the “hot” isn’t very hot, I think I’ll start with the “medium hot.” Reports to follow. 🫡 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/16 "2026-04-02T12:09:29Z")
> [@keeganst94](#): > > Although apparently the Japanese curry was introduced to Japan from India by the British The connection is the Royal Navy, back in the period of Japan and Great Britain both being empires. > **[Japanese curry | History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_curry#History)** > > Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912).\[citation needed\] At the time, the Indian subcontinent was under British colonial rule. It is most likely that the British introduced the spice mix called curry powder to Japan via the countries' respective navies. It was classified as yōshoku (Western style food) since it came from the West. The word curry was probably adopted into the Japanese language as karē in the late 1860s, when Japan was forced to abandon its isolatio Curry is... ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/17 "2026-04-02T12:13:41Z")
The 2019 thread I cited in post #15 is **really** informative. 👍🏽 ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/18 "2026-04-02T12:14:37Z")
The Golden Curry brand has been consistently good and I’ve used it for decades. It tastes just like–and has the same consistency–as Japanese curry, served in homes and restaurants. It is _surprisingly popular_ there, and is eaten in Japanese meals perhaps as often as spaghetti is eaten in the US. I ate it a lot when living in Japan and made if for myself at home in the US, maybe 2x per year, in the years since. ETA: It is served in two Japanese restaurants in West Lafayette. Not by itself, but in addition to “katsu” (cutlets) of deep fried breaded chicken or pork, which is served on top of the curry, which covers the white rice. Look for “katsu curry” at a Japanese restaurant. Most visitors ignore it in favor of more popular and well known items like sushi. But it is often available. If/when you order it, don’t be surprised if a chef comes out to visit your table, because oftens only actual Japanese people order this, presumably for a taste of home. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/19 "2026-04-02T12:32:30Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I was wondering about this. I always associate the word _curry_ with Indian cooking. So it was _Japanese_ in the name that baffled me. Japanese has its own variation of curry that’s a little lighter on spices and especially lighter on chili peppers. Indian food purists may not consider it a real curry, but I think that’s misguided. It’s got the basics. Personally I like it as well as Indian curry. Setting apart the hotness, sometimes I find Indian food excessively busy in terms of spice. Like if there’s more than 10-12 spices I just can’t even tell what’s going on. That’s why I like the Japanese curry, it’s less busy and you can better appreciate the food you’re eating. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949/20 "2026-04-02T14:04:39Z")
> [@keeganst94](#): > > Yeah, that’s my default as well, but really as far as I can tell in English curry basically means “stew from somewhere in Asia”. And the Asian influences migrated to the English speaking Caribbean so curry dishes turns up in Jamaica and Trinidad cuisine, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golden-curry-product-anyone-use-it-or-familiar-with-it/1028949.md?page=2)