Creamy Tomato Chicken Stew

About Japanese “Cream Stew”

In Japan, “cream stew” is the dish everyone craves when the weather turns cold: chicken or pork simmered with potatoes, onions, and carrots, then finished with a milk-based white sauce. The name “cream stew” itself is Wasei-Eigo (Japanese-made English), but the concept of a white cream sauce has roots in the European béchamel. In Japan, this stew evolved into a main dish that is commonly paired with rice, rather than a sauce for pastas and meat dishes.

The story of cream stew goes back to the Meiji era, when Western cooking began to spread in Japan. By the Taishō period, recipes using white sauce were appearing in cookbooks. After WWII, school lunches began to include a “white stew” that was served to help children get adequate nutrition in the food-scarce postwar years; it was first made with skim milk powder and later with fresh milk. This “white stew” made its way from school lunch trays to kitchen tables and became a common addition to home-cooked meals.

A major turning point arrived in 1966, when a powdered roux (“stew mix”) simplified the process of making the tricky white sauce at home. Said to have been modeled on the process of making Irish stews, this revolutionary powdered roux solidified “cream stew” as a fool-proof family staple with endless variations. Broccoli, corn, bacon, and mushrooms are all common additions, but each family has its own favorite combination. In Japan, a unique debate persists: Do you eat cream stew with rice or bread? Every person has their own opinion because despite its Western look, it is truly a Japanese dish. Comforting, nutritionally-balanced, and simple, it is loved by kids and adults alike.

The recipe below is a tomato-cream take on the classic—rich yet gentle, easy enough for weeknights, and perfect for serving over rice or alongside crusty bread.