竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げ

たつたあげ
noun
tatsuta-age; chicken or fish marinated in soy and fried with starch coating
food
1. tatsuta-age; deep-fried marinated chicken (or fish)
Bite-sized pieces of chicken or fish marinated in soy sauce, mirin, and ginger, then dusted in potato starch and deep-fried. The reddish-brown color of the surface is said to resemble autumn leaves on the Tatsuta River.
昼食(ちゅうしょく)に竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げを作(つく)った。
I made tatsuta-age for lunch.
鶏(とり)肉(にく)の竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げはお弁当(べんとう)の定番(ていばん)だ。
Chicken tatsuta-age is a standard item in bento boxes.
竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げは下味(したあじ)をしっかりつけてから揚(あ)げると、冷(さ)めてもおいしい。
Tatsuta-age stays tasty even after it cools if you marinate it well before frying.

Name comes from the 竜田川(たつたがわ) (Tatsuta River) in Nara, famous in classical poetry for its red autumn maple leaves — the soy-marinated surface turns a similar reddish brown after frying.

Common collocations

  • 鶏(とり)の竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げ: chicken tatsuta-age
  • 鯖(さば)の竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げ: mackerel tatsuta-age
  • 竜田(たつた)揚(あ)げ弁当(べんとう): tatsuta-age bento

Similar words

  • から揚(あ)げ: karaage — also marinated, fried chicken, but the coating is usually flour or a mix; soy marination is lighter. The line between karaage and tatsuta-age is blurry, and many recipes overlap.
  • 天(てん)ぷら: tempura — uses a batter rather than a dry starch coating; not marinated

Related Words

Compare: 天(てん)ぷら (tempura)
general
Added 2026.6.4 12:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
28500/28721_tatsutaage