Donburi (丼物) Katsudon (カツ丼)
Japanese rice bowl topped with tonkatsu, a breaded pork cutlet, a Japanese specialty.

Katsudon is a Japanese dish made of hot rice topped with a breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu), cooked with beaten egg, onions, and a sauce based on dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.

Origin of Katsudon
Katsudon evolved from tonkatsu, which itself was inspired by the European schnitzel introduced to Japan in the 19th century. Tonkatsu, a breaded and fried pork cutlet, is typically served with rice and shredded cabbage.

Katsudon is believed to have been created in Tokyo in the 1890s. According to one theory, a restaurant in the city had the idea to serve a pork cutlet over a bowl of rice, cooked with eggs and onions, to provide a nourishing meal for workers and students. Another version suggests the idea originated in Tokyo’s working-class neighborhoods where people sought hearty, affordable meals.

The name "katsudon" combines:

• "katsu" (勝つ): meaning "to win" or "victory"

• "don" (丼): meaning bowl (of rice with toppings)

This semantic association helped boost the dish’s popularity among students, who often ate it before exams for good luck.

Evolution and Popularity
Over the decades, katsudon has become an iconic dish of Japanese cuisine. It is now served in many restaurants, from specialized eateries to fast-food chains.

Katsudon is loved for its rich flavor and texture combination:

• The crispiness of the tonkatsu

• The slightly sweet sauce

• The tenderness of the egg

Today, it is recognized not only as a tasty meal but also as a symbol of luck and success, especially cherished by students.

A Good Luck Tradition
In Japan, it is common for students to eat katsudon the night before an important exam. This tradition relies on a pun: the word "katsu" (勝つ) means both "to win" / "to succeed" and refers to the breaded cutlet in the dish.

A 16-year-old high school student said:
“I was happy to have tonkatsu prepared for me during exam time.” — Nippon.com

Eating katsudon thus becomes a symbolic, almost ritualistic gesture to attract good luck and pass exams.

Summary: What is Katsudon?
Katsudon is a bowl of hot rice topped with:

• Hot rice

• Tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork cutlet)

• Beaten egg, cooked with other ingredients

• Onions

• Sauce made with dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar

The word katsudon is a combination of tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and donburi (rice bowl).

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 4 pork loin slices for tonkatsu

• Seto no Honjio sea salt

• Pepper

• Light flour

• Beaten egg

• Breadcrumbs

• Dashi broth

• 1/2 teaspoon water

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 100 g onion

• Eggs (as desired)

Preparation

1. Cut the pork into strips, season with salt and pepper, coat with flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in that order. Fry in oil at 170°C for 4-5 minutes, drain, and cut into 1-2 cm pieces.

2. Slice the onion and cook until tender and translucent.

3. Beat the eggs and cut mitsuba (Japanese herb) into 2 cm pieces.

4. In a pan, bring dashi broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

5. Pour beaten eggs over the broth and simmer gently until halfway cooked. Sprinkle mitsuba on top, turn off heat, cover, and steam for 1-2 minutes.

6. Serve rice in bowls, place fried pork pieces on top, and pour the broth mixture with egg over it.

Katsudon is thus a nourishing dish and a symbol of good luck, a delicious Japanese culinary tradition.