Today is National Tempura Day. 10 things you might not know about tempura:
Tempura is a Japanese dish in which seafood or vegetables are coated in batter and deep fried.
It didn’t entirely originate in Japan. Tempura’s origins are actually in Portugal. The Portuguese had a dish called peixinhos da horta, which translates as “little fish of the garden”. This was green beans deep fired in batter and was a staple dish in Portugal during Lent when meat was off the menu. Portuguese traders and missionaries brought it with them to Japan.
In fact, the word tempura might have come from the Latin, quator anni tempora or ad tempora cuaresme, referring to Ember Days or Lent. Although an alternative theory suggests the origin of the word was tempêro, which is Portuguese for seasoning.
When the Portuguese left Japan, the Japanese took the recipe and made it their own. They made it with seafood and other vegetables as well as green beans. Meat other than seafood isn’t usually used because it’s too heavy. Some Western-Japanese fusion dishes may use other meats but they cook it differently.
The batter used in tempura is traditionally made of Wheat flour, Egg, and Water. The idea is that the flavour is whatever is inside it, so it’s usually not seasoned, except perhaps with a little Salt.
The batter is meant to be light and crispy, which is achieved by adding a little baking powder or using sparkling water. Keeping the batter cold until it goes into the frying pan keeps it crispy. It slows the development of gluten, which would make it heavier.
Tempura was traditionally cooked using sesame oil, although today, vegetable oil or canola oil are most often used.
Traditionally, the batter is mixed in small batches using chopsticks. In between batches, the bits of batter left behind in the oil are scooped out with a small mesh scoop so they won’t burn and leave a bad taste in the oil. These bits are called tenkasu, and will be used as ingredients in other dishes or as a topping.
Tempura is served either salted or with dipping sauces.
Tempura desserts are a thing in some experimental cuisines, where it’s possible to get tempura Ice cream and tempura Chocolate.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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