Tempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅, tenpura; [tempɯɾa]) is a typical Japanese dish that usually consists of seafood and vegetables that have been coated in a thin batter and deep-fried. Tempura originated in the 16th century, when Portuguese Jesuits brought the Western-style cooking method of coating foods with flour and frying, via Nanban trade.
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👉 Tempura in the context of Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: washoku) is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, tamagoyaki, and vegetables cooked in broth. Common seafood is often grilled, but it is also sometimes served raw as sashimi or as sushi. Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter, as tempura. Apart from rice, a staple includes noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan also has many simmered dishes, such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga.
Historically influenced by Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine has also opened up to influence from Western cuisines in the modern era. Dishes inspired by foreign food—in particular Chinese food—like ramen and gyōza, as well as foods like spaghetti, curry and hamburgers, have been adapted to Japanese tastes and ingredients. Traditionally, the Japanese shunned meat as a result of adherence to Buddhism, but with the modernization of Japan in the 1880s, meat-based dishes such as tonkatsu and yakiniku have become common. Since this time, Japanese cuisine, particularly sushi and ramen, has become popular globally.
In this Dossier
Tempura in the context of Sieve
A sieve (/ˈsɪv/), fine mesh strainer, or sift is a tool used for separating wanted elements from unwanted material or for controlling the particle size distribution of a sample, using a screen such as a woven mesh or net or perforated sheet material. The word sift derives from sieve.
In cooking, a sifter is used to separate and break up clumps in dry ingredients such as flour, as well as to aerate and combine them. A strainer (see colander), meanwhile, is a form of sieve used to separate suspended solids from a liquid by filtration.
Tempura in the context of Ami shakushi
Ami jakushi (網杓子) is a skimmer used in the Japanese kitchen. The skimmer is made from a fine wire mesh and is used to remove small pieces of unwanted food or foam from a liquid. For example, in deep frying, the ami jakushi is used to remove small drops of batter during the frying of tempura. Another example would be the removal of foam from a miso soup to achieve a more pleasing aesthetic.
Tempura in the context of Takoyaki
Takoyaki (Japanese: たこ焼き or 蛸焼) is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour–based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi). The balls are brushed with takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce) and mayonnaise, and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi).
Yaki (焼き) is one of the cooking methods in Japanese cuisine, meaning 'to grill', and can be found in the names of other dishes in Japanese cuisine such as okonomiyaki and ikayaki (other famous Osakan dishes). Typically, it is eaten as a snack or between meals, but in some areas it is served as a side dish with rice. It is an example of konamono (konamon in the Kansai dialect), or flour-based Japanese cuisine.
Tempura in the context of Edamame
Edamame (枝豆; /ˌɛdəˈmɑːmeɪ/) is an East Asian dish prepared with immature soybeans in their pods, which are boiled or steamed, and may be served with salt or other condiments. It is consumed in many world regions. Edamame is a common side dish in Japanese cuisine and as an appetizer to alcoholic beverages, such as beer or shōchū. As an ingredient, edamame is used in both sweet and savory dishes, such as takikomi gohan, tempura, and zunda-mochi.
When the beans are outside the pod, the term mukimame is also sometimes used in Japanese.