What is Tempura?
Tempura is a Japanese dish consisting of seafood, meat, or vegetables that are battered in flour and deep-fried in oil.
While fritters are commonly eaten a variety of countries, tempura is an entirely different dish.
Shrimp, squid, sand borer, eggplant, and squash are common tempura ingredients.
Generally, tempura is dipped in a slightly sweetened tempura sauce made of dashi broth, mirin (sweet rice wine), and soy sauce.
You may add grated daikon radish or ginger according to your taste.
It is also recommended to eat tempura with salt to enjoy the delicate flavors inherent in the seasonal ingredients.
Tempura is a dish introduced to Japan from Portugal in the 16th century.
It was originally eaten as a dish to avoid meat during Christian periods of fasting.
With time, tempura has become an integral part of Japanese cuisine and is now considered an artistic dish prepared by skilled chefs in restaurants.
Tendon, a rice bowl topped with freshly fried tempura and a special dipping sauce, is also popular.
Varieties of Tempura
Seafood
Fresh seafood, such as shrimp, squid, and conger eel(a kind of eel), are used.
The variety may vary by region and season.
Vegetables
A variety of vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, eggplants, and shishito peppers are used.
As with seafood, the variety varies by region and season.
Kakiage (mixed tempura)
It consists of finely chopped vegetables and seafood, which is then deep-fried.
Kakiage-don, a bowl of rice topped with kakiage, is another popular dish.
Meat
It is slightly more uncommon than seafood or vegetable tempura.
Tempura made with chicken is known as kashiwa-ten.
It is a popular topping for udon and soba noodles due to the juiciness of the chicken and the crispiness of the fried batter.
Other varieties
There are some unique and surprising tempura, such as those made with ice cream, half-boiled eggs, among others.
You can enjoy ice cream tempura as dessert.
How to make
Choose fresh ingredients and cut them into appropriate sizes.
Make batter by lightly mixing flour and cold water.
Dip the ingredients in the batter and deep fry in oil at about 170–180°C.
Shortening the frying time makes tempura crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Skilled chefs create perfectly crispy and juicy tempura by carefully controlling the oil temperature and adjusting the frying time for each ingredient.
If you sit at the counter of a tempura restaurant, you can watch the chefs fry tempura in front of you with an up-close view of their skilled technique.
Enjoy the crackling sound of the oil and the appetizing aroma of frying food.
How to eat
Eat as soon as it is served
Tempura is best enjoyed when it is hot.
Eat as soon as it is served.
Prepare condiments
Grated daikon radish and ginger are often added to ten-tsuyu.
Add them according to your preference.
Choose tempura sauce or salt
While tempura is usually served with tempura sauce, it is also popular to eat with salt or citrus salt.
Choose according to your preference.
For salt, spread it on a small serving plate for dipping.
Dip lightly
When dipping tempura in tempura sauce, remember to dip lightly to avoid spoiling the crispiness of the tempura.
Be sure to similarly use a small amount for salt as well.
Eat
Savor each bite, whether it is a small piece or cut into pieces for easier eating.
To enjoy freshly fried tempura one after another, eat at a moderate pace.
People’s reaction when eating
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