[1] Shrimp tempura from CBCrabcakes.com (photo © CB Crabcakes).

[2] People who resist eating veggies may be instantly converted to vegetable tempura. Here’s the recipe (photo © American Diabetes Association).

[3] Kabocha squash tempura is a winner. Here’s the recipe (photo © Refugee Kitchen).

[4] Mixed vegetable tempura. Here’s the recipe (photo © Heather Christo Deliciously Allergen Free Recipes).

> The history of tempura follows.

> The recipes are below.

> The year’s 11 Japanese food holidays (plus 6 sushi holidays).

> The year’s 56 fish and seafood holidays.
 
 
TEMPURA HISTORY

While we think of tempura as a quintessential Japanese food, it was introduced to Japan in the mid-16th century by Portuguese missionaries and traders. Prior to then, the concept of deep fat batter-frying was not part of Japanese cuisine.

Culinary historians say that the word “tempura” appears to come from the Latin word “tempora,” a Portuguese reference to Lent, Fridays and other Catholic holy days when meat was avoided and fish and vegetables were consumed. (The Latin phrase tempora cuaresme, which means “in the time of Lent.”)

The dish that inspired the word was a meal for Lent, when the Catholic Portuguese could not eat meat. Presumably, the Japanese mistook “tempora” as the dish’s name and called the frying technique tempura.

The types of tempura that are popular today—fried seafood and vegetables—gained popularity in the mid-18th century and became firmly established in Japanese cuisine. Tempura continues to evolve in style, most recently into sushi “tempura rolls.”

In the U.S., tempura even has its own holiday: January 7th is National Tempura Day.
 
 
TEMPURA TIP: THE RIGHT BATTER MAKES TEMPURA LESS OILY

Tempura batter is traditionally made with eggs, ice water, and low-protein wheat flour. You can also buy tempura batter mix in the Asian products section of the supermarket or in Asian food stores.

According to Nisshin Seifun, makers of a tempura batter mix used by fine restaurants, some brands do a greater job of limiting oil absorption (as does a cold batter, which is why ice water is used).

In the absence of a package of tempura mix, made with low-protein wheat flour, try this recipe:
 
 
RECIPE #1: TEMPURA BATTER

Ingredients For Batter

 
Vegetable & Seafood Options

 
Plus:

3. MAKE the batter: Beat the egg in a bowl. Add the ice water and flour; mix lightly. Be careful not to overmix the batter or you’ll get tough, chewy dough. Japanese chefs make the batter by swirling the ingredients a couple of times with chopsticks. It’s O.K. to leave lumps in the batter.

4. HEAT the oil to 340°F. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, drop a small amount of batter into the oil. If it sinks halfway down and then comes to the surface, the oil is about 340°F. If it doesn’t sink, it’s about 360°F or more.

5. FRY the vegetables first so as not to impart a seafood flavor to the oil.
 
 
RECIPE #2: TEMPURA DIPPING SAUCE (PONZU SAUCE)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MIX the ingredients well. If you only have soy sauce and vinegar, it will do in a pinch.

Learn more about our favorite international foods by checking out the pull-down bar at the right.
 
 

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One of the simplest desserts, enjoyed since early times, is figs with honey. It couldn’t be easier: just decide how many figs you want to serve to each person (we serve three or four, depending on size), and plate them with a drizzle of honey. Other decisions:

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Preparation

1. DISSOLVE the gelatin in 3 tablespoons of cold water, for about 10 minutes.

2. PLACE the cream, vanilla bean, vanilla extract, fig purée, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the gelatin to the pan, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds, or until the gelatin is well blended with the cream.

3. POUR the cream mixture into molds, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.
 
 
A BRIEF FIG HISTORY

By the time of the Bible, figs had been cultivated for thousands of years. They may have been the first crop* cultivated—perhaps first in Egypt. From there they spread to Crete and around the 9th century B.C.E., to Greece, where they became a staple.

The ancient Greeks loved figs so much that they enacted a law forbidding the export of the best quality figs (in the ancient world, at least 29 varieties of figs were cultivated).

Figs spread throughout the Mediterranean. They arrived in the New World in the early 16th century, with Spaniards explorers. When Spanish missions were established in what is now southern California, the monks cultivated planted fig trees. Today, California is one of the largest producers of figs, along with Greece, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
 
 
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*Agricultural historians believe the order of cultivation to be figs, wheat and barley, grapes, olives, sugar, tea, rice and sesame. Different historians have different orders, and archeological digs regularly reveal new information.
 
 

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When you say “Norwich, Vermont,” sweet potatoes don’t come to mind.

But they may when more people discover Yummy Yammy sweet potato-salsa—actually more of a smooth dip or spread than what most people think of as salsa.

But like a Mexican-style salsa, Yummy Yammy is packed with nutrition and a guilt-free snack, when combined with crudités or a some rice crackers. The whole jar has just 250 calories.

Yummy Yammy also works as a dip with any crunchy snack (chips, pretzels, bagel chips, pita chips); as spread for burgers, burritos, and sandwiches; as a condiment with eggs, rice or vegetables; even atop nachos.

There’s no tomato here in this salsa; just 100% pure flame-roasted sweet potato and deft seasonings. There is no added sugar, it’s naturally fat-free and loaded with natural nutrition.

 
There’s a store locator on the website, and the products can be purchased on Amazon.com ($9.99 per 12-ounce jar).

Try some: You, too, may become a “yambassador.”

And by all means, “spread” the word. Give a jar as a stocking stuffer, Thanksgiving host/hostess gift or party favor.