the.com/tempura
crunchy proof that the best Japanese classics were stolen fair and square from Portugal.
means A Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables dipped in a light batter and deep-fried until crisp.
from The word likely comes from the Portuguese, who arrived in Japan in the 16th century — possibly from 'tempero' (seasoning) or 'temporas,' the Ember Days, periods when Catholic missionaries abstained from meat and ate fried fish and vegetables instead. The Japanese borrowed the cooking, kept a version of the name, and refined it into something the Portuguese could no longer claim.
- portuguese roots
- Jesuit missionaries brought the frying technique in the 1500s
- name origin
- from Latin tempora, Catholic fasting days
- cold batter
- ice water keeps it lacy and crackling, never greasy
- edo street food
- once sold on skewers from open-air stalls
- no overmixing
- lumpy batter beats smooth for ideal crunch
asakusa's nakamise tempura — tokyo's historic shopping street where tempura has been served since the edo period, particularly at daikokuya
shinjuku tempura kappa zushi — michelin-starred tempura restaurant in tokyo operating since 1935, perfected by chef endo kazuo
kyoto's tempura yoshikawa — tempura restaurant in kyoto established in 1919, known for seasonal kaiseki-style tempura courses