I’ve been making my way through the “Time-Life Foods of the World” book series (those I’ve gathered from various used bookstores and booksales). They feature excellent writing (M.F.K. Fisher authored one of the France books), and wonderful historical information. In perusing the “The Cooking of Japan”, I learned that tempura was developed after the Portuguese began trading with Japan and sending Jesuit missionaries in the 1500s. “The Portuguese, as good Catholics, rejected meat on Ember Days, which they called by the Latin name of Quattuor Tempora, the ‘four times’ of the year.” They instead requested seafood, especially deep-fried shrimp which came to be known as “tempura”. “Thus, did the ancient Latin word for ‘times’ turn into the Japanese word for shrimp fried in batter.” The frying method was refined by the Japanese into the light, crispy, yummy treat we know today. Etymology can be so enlightening. In all the times I’ve had tempura I’ve never wondered if the word was derived from Latin roots. I often pick out Chinese-derived words, but I never would have guessed where this one came from. The author’s source for this information was Mario Pei’s “Talking Your Way Around the World” (now out of print).