Tempura: The Art of Japanese Fritters with a Portuguese Twist

The Japanese believe that “food is like a person.” Just as a person always wears decent clothes and stays neat, food should also be prepared in a healthy way and presented beautifully. Food cannot be presented in a naked state. Japanese food is extremely precise and healthy, and traditional foods are even more beautifully decorated. The Japanese eat meat but much less compared to other countries. However, fish and seafood are very popular in Japan because it is surrounded by seas and oceans. Today, I will talk about one of Japan’s most traditional dishes, Tempura.

The word “tempura” comes from the Latin word “tempora,” which means “time period” or “time.” Although tempura has a long history in Japan, surprisingly, it did not originate in Japan but in Portugal. Due to its incredible taste and unique variety, tempura is well-known worldwide. But the question is, how does tempura taste?

Simply, tempura is a lot like fritters. Vegetable or seafood fritters! Shrimp, prawns, green beans, asparagus, eggplant, and various vegetables and fish are used to make tempura, which is made with flour, eggs, baking powder, starch, spices, and water. Chicken and tofu tempura are also available.

Tempura is served with spices and a sauce called tentsuyu. It is also served with soup and rice. Most restaurants provide a special sauce made from mirin (rice wine), fish stock, and soy sauce with tempura. Radish and ginger are finely chopped on top. The use of a fruit called yuzu in this dish is very common. Restaurants that specialize in making tempura are called “tempura-ya.” In a high-quality tempura-ya, this dish can cost around 5,000 yen. Tempura is a vegetable or seafood dish. The Japanese use fried onions in this dish. It is easy to prepare, so it is often found on Japanese menus. Shrimp, bamboo, peppers, or onions are used in tempura.