“A special food any kind of Japanese ceremony”
Tempura dishes are perfect choices for any formal meetings. It’s not only for happy weddings or greetings, but also it suits all kinds of ceremonies. So the host can easily choose it even on Buddhist memorial day.
Unfortunately, Tempura dishes are not the perfect one for Vegetarians. If you accept and eat eggs, Japanese Tempura could be the best option. It’s still difficult to find a safe Vegan menu in Tokyo.
If someone asks me “Is Tokyo vegan friendly ?” , I have to reply “It’s still on the way” . But we have some places in Japan. They use potato starch for their Tempura Batter instead of egg, and they will serve you trustable Vegetarian dishes.
If you have strict eating habits, such as Vegetarian, Flexitarian and Pescatarian, you need to find appropriate dining places.
And, please don’t forget to ask them, if your chef separates the oil from any kind of meat.
“As the Traditional Shojin Ryori”
“Shojin” is a famous cooking style in Japanese cuisine and their main ingredients are only vegetables. In Japan, assorted vegetable fritters are called “Shojin Age”. “揚げ Age” means fried cook.
For Shojin Chefs, cooking is also joyful as well as eating. The reason is that preparing meals is good practice for time management. In other words, making your cooking on time is a good lesson to control your mindset.
And they often serve “Tempura” to their guests, because it’s available for any occasion and the day. However, it still contains some eggs in their fritter skin. That means “Shojin Age” (Assorted Vegetable Tempura) is not a perfect choice for a strict Vegan eater.
Actually, Tempura came from Portugal originally. And the word “Tempura” derives from Portuguese language “Tempora ” which means Ember days. This means the day designated for fasting in Portugal.
“Perfect Menu for a Pescatarian Meal Plan”
About the recipe, a basic Tempura batter is made of flour & egg yolk. Then, we cook deep-fried with iced Tempura batter. Tempura is usually used seafood and vegetables for the main ingredients of it and this fact should be more mentioned specially. These are all attractive ingredients choices among Pescatarians. In addition, Mushrooms and root vegetables also contain a strong umami flavor.
For a Pescatarian, If you can intake eggs, Shrimp Tempura (which is representative of Tempura choices) could be one of good choices. The other hand, it could be a beautiful presentation for a Vegetarian to make Vegan Tempura with Assorted vegetables. We also need to check that Tempura doesn’t contain any meat or seafood essence.
“About seasonings”
Basically, Tempura sauce is used as a dipping sauce. It consists of 4 ingredients, it contains soy sauce, fish broth, Mirin and Sugar. Tokyo taste is usually sweeter than Kyoto style. What’s more, Tempura batter is thinner than any kind of fritters. This light and crispy skin goes well with delicate Tempura sauce.
For your eating habits or allergy, you should ask your chef and server about the Flying oils, before you order any specific Tempura. And then, let’s discuss more about “Is Japan Vegan friendly?” If you say no, I apologize for now.
“History of Tempura Menu”
Before the Edo era, Tempura was an expensive dish, because its oil was so pricey. After the biggest samurai war “Sekigahara” , this menu was getting popular among the people. The reason is that many local vendors started to cook Tempura at street markets in Tokyo. This is the beginning of the Tempura culture.
Furthermore, many soy sauce foods were also loved by citizens, such as Sushi, Noodles and Grilled Eel. These were all soul food for us.
However, in Japan’s long history, Tempura often disappeared from people’s dinner tables. We could enjoy Tempura dishes, only when we were in a peaceful society. When disasters occurred in Japan, prices of ingredients rose up. We suffered from a food shortage many times.
Luckily, our Tempura menu is now on the menu Today!
Hope our Tempura culture and recipe will help your day. Take great care, please!
