Three wise men who know spices inside and out have a big debate: Taste of home or taste of the store? Taste of home or taste of a restaurant? The Best Retort Curry in Reiwa

What is the cheapest and tastiest “strongest retort-pouch curry”?

Retort-packed curry that can be eaten simply by heating it in a microwave oven or by boiling water. In fact, it was born in Japan. The world’s first “Bon Curry” was released in 1968 by Otsuka Food Industries (now Otsuka Foods). Since then, retort curry has evolved continuously. The taste has become as authentic as that of a specialty restaurant, and there is a wide variety of curry products such as European-style curry, keema curry, and soup curry. Now, which is the best retort curry that is both inexpensive and tasty? Takehisa Inoue, representative of the Curry Research Institute, Spicy Maruyama, a curry researcher, and Komei Medoruma, a retort curry researcher, engaged in a heated debate.

–First, let’s start with the pioneer, Otsuka Foods. What products do you recommend?

Maruyama: I think “Bon Curry Gold (medium-hot)” (253 yen including tax), which has become synonymous with retort-packed curry. The taste has not changed since long ago. It is simple in a good sense. Recently, the number of elaborate retort curry products has increased, but I am relieved by the simplicity of this curry.

Inoue: Latecomers to the market have been making headlines in recent years, but Otsuka Foods was one of the first companies to start microwavable retort-pouch curry. Otsuka Foods was the first company to start microwavable retort pouch curry, and its functional technology is outstanding.

I heard that the so-called “retort sterilization,” which involves pressurizing and heat sterilizing food while it is still in its container, was inspired by the technology used in intravenous drip infusion for medical equipment. The Otsuka Group, which owns Otsuka Pharmaceutical and other companies, must be the reason why retortable curry was created.

Inoue The fact that the company did not apply for a patent also changed subsequent history. The management at the time prioritized the spread of retort-pouch curry over its own profits. As a result, Japanese retort-pouch food has grown to a level that it can now boast to the rest of the world. This is a chic company that laid the foundation for the growth of retort pouch food in Japan.

–How about House Foods?

Inoue: The signature product is the curry house curry series, such as the 180g curry house curry medium spicy, which is the best quality in the low price range of 100 yen. It has a flavor that everyone likes, with a good amount of ingredients, and at such a low price. The price is impeccable. It is said that curry curry accounts for 20-30% of the retort-pouch curry market, and it is no wonder.

Megurima: Bon Curry has the image of a home-style curry, whereas 咖喱屋カレー is closer to the taste of a restaurant, which differentiates it from other curry products. It is sold at a low price, around 100 yen, so it is a wonder how they make a profit.

Maruyama: The lower the price of a retort-pouch curry, the more likely it is to retain a retort-pouch smell, but curry curry has a very low retort-pouch smell. Personally, I recommend the 150g 咖喱屋キーマカレー中辛. It is one of the most spicy curry in the series. Despite its low price, it also contains a good amount of ground meat (minced meat). The quality of retort-packaged keema curry varies widely from product to product, and there are many low-priced products that contain only a small amount of minced meat and still have a retort-packaged smell. The quality of curry and rice keema is “extraordinary” (laughs).

Inoue: The taste and price of curry has become the standard for low-priced products, so it must be difficult for companies to keep up.

Maruyama: House Foods also has “Pro Quality Curry 4-pack Medium Hot” (600 yen). Each serving costs about 150 yen, but the quality is comparable to products in the 300 yen class. It has no ingredients, eliminates the paper box, and comes in four bags. The cost reduction efforts have resulted in that low price.

Inoue: The reason there are no ingredients is because the concept is based on the premise of arrangement. By adding your own sauteed minced meat and onions, you can enjoy the taste of a restaurant at home. The definite choice is medium-hot, but I would like to recommend “Black”. This black curry is characterized by its roasted taste, but it has a taste that everyone can enjoy.

Part 2: Let’s decide on “Reiwa’s strongest retort curry” (a big debate among three wise men who know everything about spices)!

From the September 5, 2025 issue of FRIDAY