Zangi

Coined in 1960s Kushiro, Hokkaido, by a former yakitori shop called Torimatsu (鳥松), which adapted the northeastern-Chinese fried-chicken technique (zhá jī, 炸鸡) for Japanese tastes — heavier marinade, potato starch instead of flour. The name 'zangi' is debated: either a corruption of zhájī or an abbreviation of 'zanki' (split-chicken). Hokkaido cooks insist zangi is marinated harder and longer than karaage from the rest of Japan.

Coined 1960s Kushiro at a Chinese-style restaurant called Toriyoshi, who adapted Northeast Chinese 炸鸡 (zhájī) for Japanese tastes — heavier marinade, potato starch instead of flour. Hokkaido cooks insist zangi is marinated longer than karaage from the rest of Japan.

Bone-in or boneless chicken thigh chunks, marinated heavy in soy-ginger-garlic-sake, dredged in potato starch (not flour), and fried twice. The crust is shaggy and crackly, almost lacy in places, and stained dark from the marinade. Inside the meat is salty all the way through — not just on the surface. Eaten hot with a lemon wedge or Japanese mayo; goes with beer.

Potato starch is the load-bearing detail. Wheat flour fries up dense and even; potato starch fries up irregular, lacy, and stays crisp longer because it absorbs less oil. The marinade also goes deeper than karaage — typically 30 minutes to overnight, versus karaage's 10–20 minutes — so the seasoning is in the meat, not just the coating. Frying twice (low then high) renders the fat under the skin without overcooking the center.