furai

{{Short description|Japanese deep-fried and breaded food}}

File:CdazziEbifurai1.jpg

Furai (フライ) is a form of yōshoku (Western-influenced Japanese cuisine) developed in the late 19th and early 20th century.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Furai (ryouri) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Nipponica web version |publisher=Shogakukan |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%83%95%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%28%E6%96%99%E7%90%86%29-1586721 |access-date=2024-08-04 |edition=constantly updated |language=ja |trans-title=Fry (cooking)|script-title=ja:フライ (料理) |via=kotobank.jp}} The term refers to breaded seafood or vegetables, while breaded meats such as pork and chicken are considered to be another form of yōshoku known as katsu (cutlets).{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Katsuretsu|script-title=ja:カツレツ|encyclopedia=Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Concise edition, web version (精選版 日本国語大辞典)|publisher=Shogakukan|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84%E3%83%AC%E3%83%84-45433|access-date=2024-08-04|via=kotobank.jp|language=ja|trans-title=cutlet}}{{Cite encyclopedia |title=katsuretsu |script-title=ja:カツレツ |encyclopedia=新修百科大辭典 |publisher=Hakubunkan |location=Tokyo, Japan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zG3Ln3xqcxwC&q=%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84%E3%83%AC%E3%83%84&pg=PP320 |via=Google Books |date=1934-04-14 |orig-date=1934-04-05 |at=p262 row 4 |language=ja}}

The main types of furai are:

• Ebi furai (エビフライ, 海老フライ) - breaded shrimp
• Kaki furai (カキフライ, 牡蠣フライ) - breaded oyster
• Aji furai (アジフライ, あじフライ, 鰺フライ) - breaded Japanese horse mackerel

They are usually served with shredded cabbage and/or shredded lettuce, Japanese Worcestershire sauce or tonkatsu sauce, and lemon.

Furai differs from tempura in that the latter is fried in a light batter, rather than breading, and is typically served with tentsuyu. {{Cite encyclopedia |title=Tempura |encyclopedia=Digital Daijisen (デジタル大辞泉) |publisher=Shogakukan |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%A4%A9%E9%BA%A9%E7%BE%85-578873 |access-date=2024-08-04 |edition=constantly updated |language=ja |script-title=ja:天麩羅 テンプラ |via=kotobank.jp}} Tempura is generally classified as washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) due to the fact that it was integrated into the cuisine several centuries earlier.{{cite web|url= https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/what-makes-food-authentic-and-who-gets-to-decide/|title=What makes restaurant food 'authentic,' and who gets to decide?|author= Peter Hum | work = Ottawa Citizen |date=15 August 2019}}