How to eat kushikatsu: one dip in the sauce, and the cabbage on the side
What kushikatsu is, the no double-dipping rule at places with a shared sauce pot, and how to use the free cabbage to get more sauce.
At a kushikatsu counter, the fried skewers come with a pot of sauce and a dish of raw cabbage. There’s one rule to know before your first bite: one dip only.
Kushikatsu: fried skewers
Kushikatsu (串カツ) are meat, seafood and vegetables, breaded and deep-fried on a skewer. They’re a classic in Osaka, especially around Shinsekai.
Nidozuke kinshi: no double-dipping
At places with a shared sauce pot, dip each skewer once, before your first bite. Everyone at the counter uses the same sauce, so a skewer you’ve bitten shouldn’t go back in.
Kyabetsu: cabbage on the side
Raw cabbage (キャベツ, kyabetsu) is often free to eat between skewers. Want more sauce after your first bite? Scoop some up with a cabbage leaf and pour it over your skewer.
Can’t read what’s on the menu? Izakaya Buddy’s Scan the menu explains each dish in English.
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