DISCOVER the TASTE of JAPAN

A staple in traditional Japanese cuisine 'Tempura'

DISCOVER the TASTE of JAPAN

what is tempura?what is tempura?

tempura tempura

What is Tempura?

Tempura is a fried dish that's made with varieties of vegetables and seafood such as shrimp, carrot, and eggplant, which are coated with tempura batter. It's one of the most common and popular traditional Japanese foods in the country since the Edo Period. In the present day, tempura is served in all kinds of places: traditional Japanese restaurants, cuisines that are specialized in tempura, as well as at home. Along with other traditional foods such as sushi and soba noodles, tempura is a dish that represents the taste of Japan.

history

history of tempura

History

Tempura is said to have been introduced to Japan during the Muromachi Period by the Portuguese, around the same time western guns were introduced to the country. One theory regarding the origin of its name is that it comes from the word quatro temporas, which refers to the period of Lent in Christianity. Tempura as it's known today made its first appearance in the late 17th century. During this time, easier access to cooking oils made fried foods a part of everyday life among the common people. This was when tempura joined foods such as sushi and soba as one of the well-known and popular fast foods in Japan.

history

history of tempura

how to enjoy

how to enjoy tempura how to enjoy tempura

How to enjoy

The standard tempura uses seasonal vegetables and seafood, but did you know that ingredients like cheese, egg and even fruits make good tempuras as well? There is even an Age Manju, a steamed dumpling with sweet fillings which is fried into a tempura.
Tempura is not only eaten by itself, but topped on rice it becomes a delicious Tendon or Tenju (tempura rice bowl). The variety is countless. Try making tempura with leftover vegetables and other foods in the refrigerator, and you might happen to discover something new and delicious.

recipe

tempura

Tempura

Ingredients
  • 8 pieces of shrimp
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1 eggplant
  • 3.5oz pumpkin *type: Japanese pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup tempura flour
  • 5.4oz cold water
  • frying oil
  • salt
  • mentsuyu (noodle soup base)
Method
  1. STEP1Cut vegetables into smaller pieces.
  2. STEP2Peel the shrimp (except for the tail). Remove the back veins and make a few cuts in the back, so it doesn't curl up when frying. Cut off the end of the tail and squeeze out the excess water.
  3. STEP3 Dust a thin layer of tempura flour on all ingredients. TipIt's best to dust a thin layer of tempura flour on to the ingredients in advance.
  4. STEP4Pour cold water into a bowl.
  5. STEP5Pour the tempura flour into bowl.
  6. STEP6 Lightly mix tempura flour with water (some flour should be left undissolved). TipThe batter should be prepared right before deep-frying the vegetables and shrimp.
  7. STEP7Pour about 1-1.5 inches of frying oil into a pot. Heat oil to around 338-356°F.
  8. STEP8Dip the ingredients into batter.
  9. STEP9 Fry the vegetables first, then the shrimp. TipBest way to fry tempura is to start with the least-smelling ingredient (vegetables→meat→seafood). TipThe amount of tempura you can fry at once is up to about half the oil's surface area.
  10. STEP10When the ingredients start to surface, turn them over.
  11. STEP11The tempura is ready when the bubbles around it become smaller and the coating is crisp.
  12. STEP12Use a coolinc rack to get rid of excess oil.
  13. STEP13Serve the tempura onto a plate and season them to your liking.
Where to buy

Tempura Flour

kakiage

Corn Kakiage

Ingredients
  • about 5oz of canned corn
  • 6 Tbsp tempura flour
  • 4 Tbsp cold water
  • frying oil
  • salt
Method
  1. STEP1Remove excess water from the corn.
  2. STEP2 Cover with tempura flour. (2 Tbsp tempura flour) TipEvenly distributing the flour will make the ingredients easy to stick together.
  3. STEP3Pour the cold water into a bowl.
  4. STEP4Pour the remaining tempura flour into bowl. (4 Tbsp tempura flour)
  5. STEP5 Lightly mix tempura flour with water (some flour should be left undissolved). TipThe batter should be prepared right before deep-frying.
  6. STEP6Pour about 1-1.5 inches of frying oil into a pot. Heat oil to around 338-356°F.
  7. STEP7Pour corn into the batter and lightly mix.
  8. STEP8Scoop out a bite-sized amount with a spoon, and drop into frying oil.
  9. STEP9 Deep-fry for about 3 minutes. When the bubbles around it become smaller and the coating is crisp, take out from the oil. TipThe amount of tempura you can fry at once is up to about half of the oil's surface area.
  10. STEP10Use a cooking net to get rid of excess oil.
  11. STEP11Serve onto a plate and sprinkle some salt. The kaki-age is ready!
Where to buy

Tempura Flour

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ingredients

Ingredients for Tempuratempura

Ingredients

  • seafood of your choice (shrimp, squid, etc.)

  • vegetables of your choice (carrot, eggplant, sweet potato, etc.)

Batter

  • tempura flour

Seasoning

  • tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce)

  • condiments of your choice (grated raddish, grated ginger, etc.)

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