Believe it or not, there’s a very logical reason that one of Japan’s most famous car companies has gotten into the curry game.

Though internationally famous for their cars, many of Japan’s automakers offer other products and services as well. Honda, for example, also makes aircraft and landscaping equipment, and Mitsubishi’s banking and insurance divisions are more successful than its automotive one these days.

Then there’s Suzuki, who in addition to producing compact cars also sells outboard boat motors and, as of this summer…curry?!?

Yes, it’s true. Suzuki has begun selling four different types of instant curry pouches, which come in classy boxes which each depict one of the company’s car or motorcycle models. The lineup consists of:

● Jimny: Brown Chickpea Masala Curry
● Swift: Tomato Lentil Dal Curry
● Hayabusa: Daikon Sambal Curry
● V-Strom 1050DE: Green Vegetable Moong Dal Curry

This isn’t just a case of slapping some Suzuki artwork onto preexisting instant curry to appeal to fans of the brand, though. It’s a natural, if unexpected, progression stemming from Suzuki’s core business operations.

Many large companies in Japan have employee cafeterias, offering quick, reasonably priced, and nutritious meals for their workers. You probably noticed that instead of Japanese style, all four of Suzuki’s curries are closer to Indian curry traditions, and that’s because the company has a significant number of Indian workers at its facilities in Japan. So while their cafeterias serve a variety of Japanese dishes, Suzuki decided to add Indian-style, vegetarian curries to their menus too. The results were so popular, with Indian employees praising the curries’ flavors and authenticity, that Suzuki decided to create instant versions of them for the general public to enjoy.

As with most instant curry pouches, they’re super easy to prepare. You can either boil the unopened pouch in a pot of water for five to seven minutes, or you can open the pouch, put its contents into a microwave-safe dish and cover it with plastic wrap, then heat it in the microwave at 500 watts for two minutes.

We picked up two of the curries to try, and started with the Jimny Brown Chickpea Masala (pictured in the photo above and also the one below). While some instant curries are thin and watery, we were nicely surprised at how substantial the roux looked. Suzuki says this is the spiciest of its curries, and we felt some considerable heat from the first bite thanks to green chili peppers used to make it. The tart tomato notes weren’t lost in the spiciness, though, and the resulting combination stimulated our appetite even as we were eating. Much like Suzuki’s Jimny, this curry might seem unassuming, but it packs a powerful punch.

Shifting gears, next we tried the Swift Tomato Lentil Dal Curry. Suzuki rates its spiciness as a “2,” compared to the Jimny curry’s 4 on its scale, and sure enough, the spice, while noticeable, is a few levels less intense. That gives the lentils and tomato flavors more room to dance on your taste buds, though, and once again, the automotive metaphor is an apt fit, considering that all-around balance and versatility is a big part of the Swift’s appeal.

The curries also have a very long shelf life (ours were labeled as being good until mid-2027), so in addition to being handy to have on hand when you don’t feel like doing from-scratch cooking, they’re also good candidates for a home disaster preparedness kit.

Suzuki’s instant curry is produced in cooperation with Torizen, a restaurant in the town of Hamamatsu that’s been in business for more than 150 years, further demonstrating that they’re serious about the quality of the roux. All four curries can be ordered online here, where they’re priced at 918 yen (US$6.20). They’re a big hit, though, so the next batch won’t be ready to ship until early September, but Suzuki’s foodstuff foray is tasty enough that they’re worth waiting for.

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