「天ぷら」は、魚介類や野菜などの食材を小麦粉が主体の「練り粉(衣液)」をつけて、油で揚げた日本料理です。
“Tempura 天ぷら、天麩羅、天婦羅” is a Japanese dish usually
consisting of seafood or vegetables that have been battered with flour-based “Neriko
練り粉
(Koromo-eki 衣液) Batter” and deep
fried.
In the
16th century, Portuguese missionaries and merchants who came to Japan by
“Manban-sen 南蛮船European trading ship” and resided in
Nagasaki introduced the fritter-cooking techniques using “Komugi-ko 小麦粉 Flour” and eggs as a batter and lard.
それまで、日本の「揚げ物」は、食材をそのまま揚げるか、「米粉」をつけて揚げていました。
Before that Japanese “Age-mono 揚げ物 Deep-fried food”
was simply fried ingredients without batter, or fried with “Kome-ko 米粉 Rice flour”.
The name
“Tempura” originates from the Latin phrase “Quatuor anni tempora”, which refers
to the Ember Days (time) when Catholics avoid red meat and instead eat fish or
vegetables.
Today in
Japan the mainstream of “Tempura” recipes basically originate from “Edo-mae (style)
tempura 江戸前天ぷら” which was invented at the food
stalls along the riverside “Uo-gashi 魚河岸 Fish market” in “Edo-jidai
江戸時代 Period”.
“Edo-mae
江戸前” means the bay in front of Edo.
「天ぷら」のレシピは、1671年に『料理献立抄』という料理本に初めて掲載されました。
The recipe
of “Tempura” was first published in 1671 in the cook book called “Ryōri-kondate-shō
料理献立抄 Cooking menu extract”.
油の抽出技術が進歩するにつれて、「天ぷら」に使える「胡麻油」が安価になりました。
Because
oil extraction techniques advanced, “Goma-abura
しかし、伝統的な日本の住宅は、「天ぷら油」から火がつきやすい紙と木で建てられました。
したがって、江戸では火災の危険があるため、揚げ物を屋内で作ることが禁止されました。
So, making
deep-fried foods indoors was prohibited in Edo due to a possible fire hazard.
川沿いの魚河岸や橋の袂(たもと)では、江戸湾で捕れた豊富な魚介類を使った食事を提供する屋台が人気となりました。
In Edo
Bay, abundant seafood were caught, at food market along riverside and the place
near the bridges, the “Yatai
魚介類の新鮮な風味を保ちながら調理する方法として「胡麻油」を使った「天ぷら」が発展しました。
The “Tempura” using “Goma-abura
屋台で、串に刺して揚げた天ぷらを、「大根おろし」を入れた「天つゆ」につけて素早く食べることは、現代のファーストフードのように便利です。
At the “Yatai
Commoners
in Edo enjoyed eating standing at the stalls.
“Tempura
天ぷら” has been considered as one of “Top three of the Edo Delicacies”
along with “Nigiri-zushi 握り寿司 Hand-formed sushi” and “Soba 蕎麦 Buckwheat noodle”.
「車海老」、「穴子」、「沙魚(はぜ)」、「きす」、「烏賊(イカ)」、「白魚」、「ぎんぽ」などが「江戸前」「天ぷら」の主なネタでした。
“Kuruma-ebi車海老Prawn”, “Anago 穴子Conger eel”, “Haze 沙魚 Goby”, “Kisu きす Japanese whiting”,
“Ika烏賊
Squid”, “Shirauo 白魚 Icefish”, “Ginpo ぎんぽ Tidepool gunnel” were the main ingredient of “Edo-mae (style) tempura江戸前天ぷら”.
Not only
seafood, but also such as the vegetables including “Nasu 茄子 Eggplant” or “Renkon 蓮根 Lotus root”,
mushrooms including “Shitake椎茸Mushroom”, “Takenoko筍 Bamboo shoot” and seaweed are the ingredients of the tempura.
Tempura
batter is traditionally mixed in small batches using “Hashi 箸 Chopsticks” for only a few seconds, leaving lumps in the mixture.
In
result, the unique fluffy and crisp tempura structure will be made when cooked.
Overmixing
the batter will result in activation of wheat gluten, which causes the flour
mixture to become soft and dough-like when fried.
薄くスライスしたり、細長く切ったりした野菜や魚介類を「ねり粉」に浸し、熱い油で素早く揚げます。
Thin
slices or strips of vegetables or seafood are dipped in the batter, then
briefly deep-fried in hot oil.
揚げた天ぷらを素早く「大根おろし」を混ぜた「天つゆ」に浸して食べます。
Cooked
bits of tempura are either eaten by dipping quickly in “Ten-tsuyu Dipping sauce”
mixed with “Daikon-oroshi 大根おろし grated daikon”.
最も一般的な「天つゆ」は、だいたい「だし汁」3、「味醂」1、「醤油」1の割合です。
The most
common “Ten-tsuyu 天つゆ Sauce” is roughly three parts “Dashi-jiru
だし汁 Soup”, one part “Mirin 味醂 Sweet sake for
seasoning”, and one part “Shōyu 醤油 Soy sauce”.
Depending
on the ingredients, “Tempura” may be sprinkled with sea salt, “Maccha 抹茶 powdered green tea”, powdered carry and powered yuzu instead of “Ten-tsuyu
天つゆ
Sauce”.
日本では、「天ぷら」を「蕎麦」や「うどん」のどんぶりに入れた「天ぷら蕎麦」や「天ぷらうどん」を見ることができます。
In
Japan, “Tempura soba 天ぷら蕎麦” with “Tempura” on “Soba” or “Tempura
udon 天ぷらうどん” with “Tempura” on “Udon” is often found.