Tempura

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Tempura consists of various kinds of fish, shellfish and vegetables coated in a light batter and deep fried. The batter is called koromo and is made from flour, egg yolks and water. The tempura is fried in vegetable oil and then dipped in the batter.

The batter is made from eggs, flour and ice water. The batter is not mixed thoroughly as it is to be lumpy and full of air bubbles. If it settles, it's discarded.

The dish is an expression of Japanese culture. Only absolutely fresh incredients are to be used; the presentation is to be artful and a skill chef prepares the food.

The art of deep-frying is said to have come to Japan from China in the 7th or 8th century. Since the cooking oil of the times was very expensive Buddhist temples were the basically the only places that served the deep-fried food. (A different source says that tempura was brought to Japan by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century.)

Although tempura can be ordered by the piece, the usual approach is to get a set meal (teishoku) which has a variety of tempura, rice, pickles and soup.

The seafoods used can include prawns, squid, shrimps, scallops and various types of fish. Vegetables can include eggplant, lotus root, green pepper, sweet potato, squash, shiitake mushrooms, onions and carrots.

Tempura is eaten while it is still hot.

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