The Japanese style of marinated, deep-fried chicken is called karaage. Small pieces of chicken are typically seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sake, or scallions, then coated lightly with potato starch or another starch before frying.
Karaage is both a cooking technique and, in everyday usage, the name of the popular chicken dish made with it. The technique can also be applied to fish, tofu, vegetables, and other meats. Its defining features are the marinade and a relatively light starch coating, which produces a crisp, craggy exterior without the thick batter associated with tempura.
The term karaage has competing written forms and possible interpretations, including “Chinese-style frying” and “dry frying.” References to karaage-style frying date to Japan’s Genroku period in the late 17th century, while chicken karaage became especially popular as restaurant food in the 1930s and after World War II. Nakatsu in Ōita Prefecture is famous for its regional karaage culture.