Tempura is a popular dish that many have come to know and love, and for a good reason! It has a light, crispy texture that is enjoyed by many. The variations of what’s used for tempura frying are endless: vegetables, seafood, and sushi, to name a few. This month, one of your favorite Nashua restaurants, San Francisco Kitchen, is here to give you a little information on tempura and what makes it so great!
What is Tempura?
Tempura is a dish with lightly battered and deep-fried vegetables, seafood, chicken, and sushi. The batter is made from egg, flour, and ice water. Ice water is the key ingredient and is what helps give that light and puffy coating as it helps prevent gluten from forming, which would make the dish too dense. So any time you see “tempura fried” on the menu, this method is how it’s made!
History of Tempura
Tempura is a popular Japanese dish that started out as a street food made by street vendors during the Edo period. Today, many chefs around the world spend their time trying to perfect this recipe. Though tempura is one of Japan’s staple dishes, it’s still up for debate whether it originated there. Some say this dish and method of frying was introduced in the 16th century in Nagasaki by the Portuguese.
Different Types of Tempura
As tempura is a popular dish, there are also many variations of it. Shrimp was actually one of the original tempuras that were enjoyed among the Japanese. Today, the options for this dish are endless, as many can use different ingredients they have on hand.
Things like broccoli, root vegetables, mushrooms, eggplants, green beans, peppers, and many other vegetables are popular options for this dish. Sushi is another dish that typically includes the term “tempura-fried,” This is usually an ingredient inside the roll, like shrimp, or the roll itself is tempura-fried. Chicken and eggs are also used for tempura, but they’re not as popular because they’re heavier after frying.
Visit One of Your Favorite Nashua Restaurants, San Francisco Kitchen!
We hope you enjoyed this article about tempura, and possibly gained more knowledge on the topic! If you’re interested in dining with us, we encourage you to view our online menu along with our hours. Until then, we can’t wait to see you!
