Korokke, the Japanese version of the breaded and deep-fried morsel that's known in France and elsewhere as croquettes, are a familiar sight in Japan.
Head to the the frozen food and ready-to-eat takeout aisles of any supermarket, or to the glowing and heated deep-fried-snack display cases at convenience stores and you'll see them there, golden and delicious. They can even be seen in sandwiches, smothered in a Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce and stuffed into a soft, hot dog bun-like koppe roll with shredded cabbage.
For such a familiar and ubiquitous food item, the origins of korokke are surprisingly murky. Even the etymology of the word "korokke" is uncertain; although most food historians say it comes from the French "croquette," there are those who claim it comes from the Dutch "kroket." The earliest mentions of something called a "kuroketto" appear in cookery books from the Meiji Era (1868-1912), so it probably entered the culinary world in Japan with the first wave of seiyō ryōri, cuisine from the West.
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