Knowra Tempura Tempura Tempura is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables coated in a light batter and deep-fried. Its thin, crisp coating contrasts with the moist ingredient inside.
Tempura batter : A lightly mixed batter, usually made with flour, cold water, and sometimes egg, used to coat foods before frying. Its low-gluten, uneven texture helps produce tempura’s characteristically light crust.
Shrimp : Small aquatic crustaceans widely eaten as seafood. Shrimp is a classic tempura ingredient, often served whole or as a fritter.
Edo period : The period of Japanese history under Tokugawa rule, from 1603 to 1868. Tempura became a popular urban food in Edo during this period.
Tendon : A Japanese rice bowl topped with tempura and often finished with a sweet-savory sauce. Tendon makes tempura the centerpiece of a filling rice dish.
Karaage : A Japanese method of frying foods, often chicken, after seasoning and lightly coating them in flour or starch. Karaage seasons and coats the ingredient directly, unlike tempura’s light batter shell.
Deep frying : A cooking method that submerges food in hot fat or oil. Tempura depends on rapid immersion in hot oil to set its coating and cook its ingredients.
Vegetable : An edible plant part, such as a root, stem, leaf, flower, or fruit. Vegetables are a major category of ingredients coated and fried as tempura.
Nagasaki : A Japanese port city that served as a major point of contact with foreign traders during Japan’s period of restricted trade. European frying practices reached Japan through the foreign trading networks centered there.
Tempura udon : A Japanese noodle soup served with udon and one or more pieces of tempura. The crisp topping softens as it meets the hot broth.
Fried chicken : Chicken coated in a seasoned crust and cooked in hot oil or fat. Its substantial crust and meat-centered preparation differ from tempura’s thin coating and varied ingredients.
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