Tempura was brought to Japan by the Portuguese. Today Tempura is a very popular Japanese food, and as well one of the best known outside of Japan.
The classic “batter-fried” food in Japan is tempura, which is no stranger to the West. What is not well known about this so-called typical Japanese dish is that in actual fact it was introduced, or at least devised, centuries ago by Europeans living in Japan – the Spanish and Portuguese who established missions in southern Japan in the late sixteenth century. The dish caught on with the Japanese, who added the thin, delicately seasoned dipping sauce with grated daikon mixed in. By now tempura has passed so thoroughly into native cooking that its origin is almost forgotten. Tempura and Recipe
Related links
Tempura: Portugal’s Prized Gift to Japan
