Tonkatsu is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. During the Meiji Period (from 1868 to 1912), ‘côtelette de veau’, a recipe for a veal cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried, was imported to Japan. Rengatei, one of Japan’s oldest Western-style restaurants opened in 1895 found the veal cutlets to be too oily for the Japanese palate. Inspired by tempura, Rengatei started to deep fry the breaded cutlet instead of pan-frying it. That’s how tonkatsu came into being. Tonkotsu turned out to be crisper and lighter, and more suited to Japanese tastes. The breadcrumbs used for coating the cutlet also changed from stale ones to fresh panko breadcrumbs. The meat became even more tender and tasty after it was coated all over like tempura. Cheaper cuts of pork replaced veal. In 1899, “pork cutlet” could be seen on the Rengatei menu. This was actually tonkatsu as we know it today.
