Posted on 01/07/2025 5:50:44 AM PST by Red Badger
NATIONAL TEMPURA DAY
On January 7th, National Tempura Day encourages us to celebrate with a dish made with a tempura batter. This Japanese fare includes either seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried.
#NationalTempuraDay Where did tempura originate? No one really knows. What we do know is back in 1549, Portuguese sailors arrived in Japan and introduced a way of battering and frying food that is now infused into the culture.
Today, chefs all over the world include tempura dishes on their menus. They use a wide variety of different batters and ingredients, including nontraditional broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus. Chefs also dip dry fruits in a tempura batter too. In addition, some American restaurants serve chicken and cheeses, particularly mozzarella, in a tempura style.
For sushi lovers, a more recent variation of tempura sushi provides a new way of enjoying the delicacy. Shushi chefs tempura fry entire pieces of delicate sushi and serve it on a beautiful platter.
HOW TO OBSERVE
What is your favorite way to enjoy tempura? Mix up your best tempura recipes. When you do, let your friends and family be your taste testers! We even have a recipe for you to try. Be sure to let us know your favorite combinations, too!
Have some tempura and use #NationalTempuraDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL TEMPURA DAY HISTORY
While we haven't discovered the origins of the day, we still occasionally heat up some oil and mix up some batter and dip into the research.
Tempura FAQ
Q. What temperature should my oil be for tempura?
A. The oil should be between 350F to 360F. When you add food to the oil, the temperature will drop, so only add a few pieces at a time so that the oil recovers quickly. Oil that is too cool will be absorbed more quickly into the food resulting in soggy tempura.
Q. What happens if my oil is too hot?
A. Oil that is too hot will cause the batter to burn. So, it's important to monitor the oil temperature.
Q. What oil should I use for tempura?
A. Vegetable oils with a high smoking point such as corn, peanut, safflower, or the most popular for tempura is canola.
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Notable Birthdays for January 7 Israel Putnam (1718-1790) - Revolutionary War General.
Daniel Tyler (1799-1882) - Brigadier General for the Union Army.
Millard Fillmore (1800-1874) -The 13th President of the U.S.
Elizabeth Louisa Foster Mather (1815-1882) - Poet.
Lucius Jeremiah Gartrell (1821-1891) - Brigadier General for the Confederate Army.
Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) - Painter of western America.
Anna Murray Vail (1863-1955) - The first librarian of the NY Botanical Garden.
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (1890-1965) - Pioneer of the comic book.
Charles Addams (1912-1988) - Creator of The Addams Family.
William Peter Blatty (1928-2017) - Author best known for his novel The Exorcist.
Terry Moore (1929-Still Living) - Child actor known for her role in Come Back, Little Sheba.
Jann Wenner (1946-Still Living) - Co-founder of the Rolling Stone magazine.
David Caruso (1956-Still Living) - Actor known for his role as Lieutenant Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami.
Nicolas Cage (1964-Still Living) - Actor known for his leading roles in Con Air, Face/Off, Gone in 60 Seconds,
Memorable Events for January 7 1782 - The Bank of North America opens as the first American commercial bank in the U.S.
1784 - The first seed business opens in the U.S.
1890 - William Purvis receives a patent for the fountain pen.
1894 - Thomas Edison makes a kinetoscopic film of someone sneezing.
1927 - The Harlem Globetrotters play their first game.
1944 - The Air Force announces production of first jet fighter.
1948 - Pilot Thomas Mantell crashes his plane while pursuing a UFO.
1953 - President Truman announces the development of the hydrogen bomb.
Tempura Ping!........................
I used to volunteer at the charity The Tempura House.
It’s for lightly battered women.
The artistry of Noble Nori restaurant in the Catskills.
Tempura originated in Japan in the 16th century, likely as a result of Portuguese Jesuit missionaries introducing deep-frying techniques to the country.
The exact origins of tempura are debated, but a popular theory is that Portuguese Jesuit missionaries introduced the Japanese to deep-frying techniques in Nagasaki.
The Portuguese word tempero means “seasoning”.
The Japanese adapted and refined the technique, creating tempura. The dish became a staple of Japanese cuisine during the Edo period (1603–1868).
Tempura’s popularity grew during the Edo period, and it became more accessible to the public when Hanaya Yohei opened the first tempura-dedicated restaurant in Tokyo.
As tempura became more popular, regional variations began to develop. For example, in the Kansai region, a style of tempura known as “tenkasu” or tempura flakes developed.
Tempura has spread beyond Japan, with Thai cuisine embracing its own unique version of the dish.
This is a terrific site for learning how to make perfect Japanese tempura.
Very detailed with great inside tips.
https://sudachirecipes.com/authentic-tempura-batter/
1784 - The first seed business opens in the U.S.
Love it but it has to be absolutely fresh - I won’t even take it home or order it for delivery as it gets soggy so quickly.
Husband’s favorite meal out was sushi - not mine - so I’d always order tempura.
My Japanese cookbook suggests the Quatuor Tempora or Ember Days observances, in which abstinence from meat is observed, were picked up by the Japanese from the visitors.
I first read the title as “NATIONAL TRUMP DAY”.
This won’t be around for long. It is purely tempurary.
Odd they’d observe “Ember Days”......since Japan is not known as a Christian nation.
Not funny
Do I need to call you the waaaambulance?
PC is over
LOL!
Not them, silly, the visitors (my book suggests Portugese sailors, above suggests maybe Jesuit priests). They cooked fried fish their way, Japanese took and adapted.
(aka today’s “cultural appropriation” hehe)
Making not funny comments is also over
No, Fauxcahauntis, we’re just getting started.
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