Japanese Food: What Is Agemono?

Japanese food is cooked in a variety of different ways and eaten using different traditional methods. In terms of cooking styles, some Japanese food is pan-fried or grilled, and other Japanese dishes are deep-fried.

Deep-fried Japanese food is called agemono. There are many different types of agemono. Karaage is bite-sized meat and seafood that is floured and deep-fried. Often, this type of Japanese food can be found in convenience stores around Japan and can also be found at izakaya, or Japanese drinking establishments.

Korokke, or a croquette-like Japanese food, is another type agemono which is also considered to be yōshoku, or Japanized version of European food.

One of the most widely known agemono (at least to Americans) is tempura, which is lightly battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables. Shrimp tempura is a very popular Japanese food in the U.S.

Agedashi dofu, or deep-fried cubes of tofu served in a hot broth, is another common type of agemono.