Tempura (天ぷら) is one of the most popular Japanese cuisine. Tempura is said to be introduced to Japan in 480 years ago. Since Edo period, tempura has become one of the “Edo Zanmai” (Edo 3 best cuisine), together with sushi and soba. Nowadays, tempura isn’t only served at tempura specialty restaurant and Japanese cuisine restaurants, but also is a common food which served as family dishes. Today, we will introduce you the types of tempura available and the manners to eat tempura.
A must-eat tempura menu! Popular ranking number one! "Ebi Tempura" (tempura Shrimp)
Many of you will agree that the must-eat tempura menu will be "Ebi tempura"(tempura shrimp). The shell and the tail of the shrimp are removed, and the shrimp is fried one by one carefully by the chef. The attractiveness of this menu is the combination of crispy tempura skin with the soft and juicy shrimp texture. Besides Tendon (天丼/ Rice topped with tempura), there are many tempura menus such as tempura udon, tempura soba, and “Temmusubi” which is a rice ball with tempura shrimp.
Sweet potato and pumpkin tempura are among the most popular tempura menu! The " Vegetables tempura"
There are "Vegetables tempura " that made from vegetable such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, okra, eggplants and Shiso. Among them, sweet potatoes and pumpkins are the most popular tempura among the Japanese. Besides, there are also some tempura which made from seasonal ingredients, such as butterbur scape and Aralia Sprout during spring, while oyster and garland chrysanthemum during winter.
Fish tempura: The most popular fish tempura, the white fish and little fat!
If we used the fatty fish for tempura, the fat will be transfer to the frying oil. Therefore, white fish is more suitable for tempura especially kiss, anago, shirao etc. Same with vegetable tempura, there are some seasonal fish which are suitable for tempura such as small ayu in spring, hammo in summer and wakasagi in winter. Since the fish tempura seems to be more difficult to be prepared, normally Japanese prefer to have it at restaurant instead of making fish tempura at home.
"Kakiage", a deep-fried ball with small cut vegetables and seafood
“Kakiage” is the tempura which the vegetables and seafood are cut in small piece and mix it, and then deep fried into round shaped tempura. The common seafood to be used to make “Kakiage” is seafood such as scallop, shrimp, squid while the vegetable will be mitsuba, leeks, carrots and burdock. Beside eating with udon and soba, “Kakiage Don” which the rice topped with Kakiage is also a popular dish.
This Japanese food is common to eat with Tentsuyu or salt
Tempura is very common to be eaten with "Tsutsuyu" sauce which is made by soup, soy sauce, mirin, etc. Some of them who want to eat it in original flavour will just eat tempura together with some salt. You can eat the tempura more refreshingly if you eat together with some grated radish and ginger.
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