Today's Sip

The Origin of Tempura-batter frying, in Japan can be traced back to the mid-16th century. The concept of batter frying was brought by the Portuguese, along with Catholicism. The word “Tempura” is derived from the Latin word of “Tempora”, which refers to “The Ember Days (quattuor anni tempora)”, when Catholics refrain from eating meat. Tempura is known as the favorite dish of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa/Edo era. Support your local Japanese restaurant and order some Tempura and crack open a bottle of Maroboshi, Junmai Ginjo sake. Maroboshi sake shows green apple fruit and pairs to perfection with the delicate fried goodness of tempura. This sake reflects the Hiroshima style, which is described as “kirei,” a Japanese word meaning both “clean” and “pretty” – Kampai or Kanpai!