Go Tokyo Your Experience
In the fast-paced modern life, convenient and delicious meal kits have become a necessity for many families and individuals. Among the various meal kits, curry meal kits are especially beloved. They can quickly become a delicious dish with just simple heating.
However, in Japan, curry meal kits are not just a delight for the taste buds; they have also sparked heated discussions on how to properly pour curry over rice.
This discussion originates from a seemingly trivial detail: should the curry be poured on the right side or the left side of the rice?
Recently, Japan’s morning information program “ZIP!” specifically produced a special episode to explore this popular topic on the internet. On the surface, this topic may seem insignificant, but upon closer observation, it becomes evident that the Japanese appear to display profound cultural and habitual differences in such everyday matters.
The opinions of different interviewees in the program are quite varied. For example, someone said: “I am used to pouring curry over my rice with a spoon, so I usually pour the curry on the right side.”
This habit may be related to personal dining habits or gestures. Another perspective, however, suggests: “I mix the rice directly into the curry, so I usually pour the curry on the left side.”
This may be because it is easier to operate by hand during the stirring process.
The street interviews in the program revealed the reasons behind these different habits.
A respondent who is keen on pouring to the right said: “It has to be on the right; otherwise, it just feels wrong to have the rice on the left.”
Others also expressed: “I like to scoop the rice into the curry and mix it up; it’s more suitable to pour to the right this way.”
Of course, some viewers insist on pouring to the left to avoid the embarrassment of dirtying their clothes.
A survey of 69 passersby found that 42 chose to pour curry on the right side, while 27 thought pouring on the left was more convenient.
To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, the program also invited curry expert Takehisa Inoue.
In Inoue’s view, the best method is: “First pour the curry directly in front of you, and then move it to the right.”
This way, it can be more convenient to scoop up the sauce for consumption, maintaining the aesthetic and cleanliness of the dining plate.
However, what is more interesting is that this debate does not only exist at the level of individual dining habits.
In commercial design, this reflects the importance of this detail. Although most people are more accustomed to pouring curry on the right side, most packaging for cooking kits in the market chooses the left side.
Hidden within this is the brand’s “aesthetic strategy”: because most customers’ line of sight flows from left to right, having the curry positioned on the left in the packaging design draws more attention from customers.
The representative of “House Good Servants” pointed out that such design helps to highlight the visual effect of the products.
This phenomenon is not only seen in individual packaging of conditioning packs; even the menu design of the chain restaurant “CoCo Ichibanya” reflects this, with most curry images displayed on the left side.
However, regardless of whether it’s the left or the right, the final conclusion is that the choice of either side completely depends on personal preference and habit. After all, the process of tasting food is essentially a pursuit of personalized enjoyment.
For those friends who like to mix curry sauce and white rice evenly, they tend to prefer allowing the two to fully blend together, creating a unique feast for the taste buds. This is also an alternative tribute to curry.
Regardless of which side you choose, it reminds us to pay attention to the small details and personal habits in life. It is these seemingly trivial choices that turn every meal into a personal ritual and cultural expression.
Behind this, there may be more reflections on attitudes towards life and values.
