NOTES & INFO

Mentsuyu

Full of umami

You can make it ahead and freeze in blocks

Not traditionally vegan but super duper easy to veganise

Multitude of uses (udon, zaru soba (cold dipping soba), dipping sauce for tempura, agedashi tofu)

This is a concentrated stock so you can and will need to water it down for certain uses.

Mentsuyu

There are two traditional Japanese foods that were introduced by the Portuguese!!!

Tempura is one Called ‘Peixinhos da Horta’ in Portuguese The other is Konpeito in Japanese (Confeito in Portuguese)

Tempura said to come from the name ‘Tempora’ which are days Catholics would refrain from eating meat and eat fish instead, and they noticed the fish would typically be battered and fried in oil, then the Japanese created their own version and they are quite different today.

Japanese Tempura have now developed and mastered their own methods. It should be light and crispy. There are now chefs that train just to become Tempura chefs, and they dedicate their lives to cooking and serving the lightest and crispiest tempura. Portuguese is often crumbed, more spiced and full flavour. Japanese is lighter, less flavour in the actual tempura but served with a simple but flavourful ‘tentsuyu’ dipping sauce.

Okinawa Japan (a blue zone region - where people are known to live the longest) have their own style of Tempura, thicker batter for their Okinawanstyle tempura.

I believe fried foods, eaten in moderation, can and DEFINITELY should be enjoyed to the fullest! Savour every bite, every crisp to the fullest!

Inari Sushi

Inari Sushi is named after the Japanese deity Inari (popular in Shinto and Buddhist beliefs). Inari is strongly associated with rice and foxes! Foxes (kitsune) are the spirits associated with Inari, and rice and sake (rice wine) are popular offerings to Inari.

Fushimi-Inari Shrine in Kyoto is covered in foxes, at the train station they sell this sushi. 2 are vegan!

Inari Sushi is a popular offering to Inari.