noun
tatsuta-age; deep-fried fish or meat marinated in soy sauce and mirin, coated with starch
A Japanese cooking technique where fish or meat is marinated, coated with katakuriko (potato starch) or cornstarch, and deep-fried. The name comes from the Tatsuta River, whose autumn leaves the reddish-brown fried color resembles.
今夜のおかずは鶏肉の竜田揚げです。
Tonight's side dish is chicken tatsuta-age.
竜田揚げは片栗粉をまぶして揚
Tatsuta-age is coated with potato starch and fried, so it turns out crispy on the outside and juicy inside.
Karaage is typically marinated and coated with wheat flour or potato starch, then deep-fried, but the coating is often lighter and less distinctly reddish-brown than tatsuta-age. Tatsuta-age specifically uses soy sauce and mirin in the marinade and relies on potato starch for a characteristic color and texture.
The name comes from the Tatsuta River (竜田川), famous for its autumn maple leaves. The reddish-brown color of the fried dish resembles the maple leaves on the river, hence the name.