Japan #3 Maizuru | 舞鶴 & Sakaiminato | 境港
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Amanohashidate – Vista point
Maizuru
Maizuru is gateway to the historical imperial city of Kyoto, rich in beauty, history and innumerable delights.
Trivia:
• Nikujaga, a dish of stewed meat and potatoes, was created in Maizuru.
• In the former Navy, curry rice/karē raisu was served every weekend to keep sense of the days of the week during long trips at sea. This tradition is carried on by the Maizuru Maritime Self-Defense Forces, where the Friday menu is curry rice, known as Kaigun/Navy Curry!
From the port of Maizuru, to get to the famed Amanohashidate/Heaven’s Bridge, we stopped at Chionji Temple, which is also called Sanninyoreba Monjunochie (out of the counsel of three comes wisdom) and Motoise Kono Shrine (origin of Ise, the holiest of Shinto Shrines).
Amanohashidate is one of Japan’s three most famous scenic views (Nihon Sankei | 日本三景). We rode ski-lifts up to the top of the mountain, where we had a great view of the Floating Bridge to Heaven. By tradition, we bent over and stuck our head between our knees, which is supposed to make the bridge appear as if it is floating or some say the bridge would look like a dragon. The pine tree-covered natural land bridge is 3.6 Km long and spans across Miyazu Bay on the Tango Peninsula in the northern Kyoto Prefecture. Sandbars on both sides of the bridge are utilized as picnic areas. (Scenic video on Amanohashidate | 天橋立 → here)
We then drove to sea level to the charming and picturesque area known as Fishermen Houses by the Sea in Ine, Kyoto. Here, more than 200 petite houses serve as boat-docks and living quarters. Ine is also associated with the popular folktale Urashima Tarō. (Excellent video on Ine, Kyoto | 伊根町 → here)
Sakaiminato
Yushien Garden, a classic Japanese circuit garden on Daikon-shima/island, features peonies, pine trees, koi ponds, waterfalls and streams. Also, a restaurant with the spectacular view of the garden.
Art of a modern form greets you as you walk along Shigeru Mizuki Road in Sakaiminato. The city is the home of manga artist and native son, Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro and as a tribute to their creator, spirit monster characters seen in many forms throughout Japan, line the street. This street is dedicated to all the characters that appear in Mizuki’s stories. One hundred bronze statues, known as Yokai, line both sides of the road. Sakaiminato is also know for its fresh and delicious catch of the day sushi and sashimi. Yes, that is what we had for lunch!
Kakiage Tempura
It is a type of tempura with different flavors and textures combined in one. Ingredients are chosen to be colorful and seasonal. Kakiage can be a main dish, and it can be topping for soba or a rice bowl (donburi). Did you know that tempura was a fast-food of the Edo-period, originally eaten by people as casual every-day fare? It was because it could be fried in a short period of time. It was eaten at street food stands about 200 years ago[¹]. And, it transitioned to many high-end, specialized tempura restaurants. When eating at these restaurants, there is a specific order in which tempura is served. With a standard menu, first shrimp tempura is served, then seasonal vegetables and seafood (i.e. kisu/Japanese whiting). The last item in the course is kakiage! Sometimes, it contains only kobashira (round clam) or small shrimps or both, and sometimes along with vegetables. When eaten as is, you can enjoy the crispness. However, it goes very well with Japanese rice and red miso soup.
It is said, (paraphrase) it takes 8 years training for master sushi chef, whereas 10 years for master tempura chef. Mastering the batter preparation and maintaining the oil temperature are the secrets/success of these lightly battered and crisply fried delights. Tempura is a medium for enjoying seasonal vegetables and seafood. Usually, meat and poultry are not served as tempura, although it is predominantly seen in katsu and kushi-katus dishes. (Excellent video on tempura, its origin, history and how to make it by an expert → here)
[¹] In the 1540’s, toward the end of Muromachi period, along with Christianity, the Portuguese ‘introduced’ Japanese to numerous delicious items, such as tempura, pumpkin (kabocha), pão de Castela, bread from Castile/Spain (check out → Castella|Kasutera カステラ) .
Autumn Kakiage Tempura | Aki no Kakiage 秋のかきあげ 天ぷら
Autumn Kakiage Tempura | Aki no Kakiage 秋のかきあげ
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com), inspired by Chef T. Saito
Tools needed: 1 ~ 2 wooden spatulas, 1 ~ 2 sets of bamboo/wooden chopsticks, ami-shakushi / mesh skimmer , large platter lined with two sheets of paper-towel
Any vegetable will do. In this case, it is focused on colorful autumn vegetables, such as:
– Root vegetables — lotus root, sweet potato, gobo / burdock roots, carrots, onions,
– Autumn vegetables — mushrooms (maitake most favored), acorn squash/kabocha and for accent, greens such as mitsuba, shiso, shishito
– Seafood — shrimp (most favored tempura), scallops,
Other ingredients commonly used for one piece tempura
– All kinds of seafood — fishes, crabs, squid, octopus, shellfishes,
– All kinds of vegetables — takenoko/bamboo shoots, eggplants, zucchini, okra, bell peppers, string beans, asparagus, broccoli,
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INGREDIENTS
• 500 ~ 600 g (18~21 oz) vegetable of choice, cut thin or in strips
. . . . (here, I used carrots, green-beans, butternut squash, purple sweet potato, mushrooms)
• 4 pieces of large shrimp, skinned, de-veined and split/cut in half (butterfly-split)
• 8 small scallops, cut in half
• flour for coating
Batter
• 1 cup chilled water
• 1 cup flour, sifted (preferably low-protein flours)
• 1 egg yolk
• vegetable oil, for deep frying
Dipping sauce (or use diluted Memmi)
• 1 cup dashi stock
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp mirin (or, Mizkan honteri non-alcoholic mirin)
Matcha seasoning
— This condiment may be a new introduction to you, as it was for me. Sprinkle over next bite of kakiage in lieu of dipping in the sauce. An additional pleasure for the palate! Give it a try.
• 1 tsp matcha green tea powder
• 1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
◊ Prepare the vegetables. Wash the shrimp in salt-water, drain and pad-dry. Wash and pad-dry scallops and cut them.
◊ Whisk/dissolve yolk into chilled water. Add flour and whisk/combine very well. Don’t let the batter to sit for long to become more glutenous.
(For regular one-piece-tempura, batter is only briefly mixed, to leave some lumps/air in batter, secret to the crispiness. Also, the oil temperature used is 170°C vs. 165°C for kakiage.)
◊ Put all the vegetables and seafood in a large bowl and toss. Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp of flour to the ingredients, toss and lightly coat them (add more flour if needed, it helps the batter stick to the ingredients better).
◊ Pour half the batter over the ingredients in the bowl and mix them very well. Add a little more batter at a time until there is enough batter to settle at the bottom of the bowl.
◊ Into at least a 10cm/ 4″ deep pan, add vegetable oil up to 6cm/ 2½” deep and heat the oil on medium-heat.
◊ Drip some batter into oil. If it immediately floats up without changing color, the oil is ready (165°C).
◊ Soak a wooden spatula in the oil a little (this prevents batter from sticking to the spatula). With chopsticks (or fork) put 1/12 of the battered vegetables from the top of the batch (to avoid thick batter) on to the greased spatula, including a piece each of the seafood.
◊ Insert the spatula with the battered ingredients into the oil. When kakiage is set a bit (collect and shape with chopsticks if needed, 8~10 seconds), then gently slide/release kariage into the oil (by pushing off with chopsticks or another wooden spatula) and remove the spatula from oil. Cook them slowly and gently (mushrooms contain water, so it is important to fry them slowly as moisture is cooked out). Try not to move the kakiage in the oil while cooking, or it may fall apart. Put in the next spatula of kariage. Cook them for 2 minutes or until the bubbling calms down.
♦ Note — Don’t cover the entire surface of the pot, only about half. If the frying oil is too crowded, oil temperature will drop, and kakiage pieces will stick together.
♦ Important — Using ami-shakushi, throughout the frying time, scoop out scrap-batter-pieces/crumbs to avoid them burning and affecting purity/taste of the oil.
◊ After 2 minutes of frying, the kariage will become larger. This indicates that air has been released from the ingredients and is a sign that they are ready to be flipped. Flip and fry for 3 minutes more or until when turned golden. Scoop out of the oil and place on the platter lined with paper-towels. Kakiage is perfectly done when gaps are seen through the fused ingredients.
◊ Dipping sauce: Combine the ingredients, bring to boil and set aside.
◊ Matcha seasoning: In a suribachi, grind salt until powdered. Add salt to matcha powder and mix well.
◊ Place Kariage pieces on a serving dish which visually enhances their color. Pour dipping sauce in individual, small bowls and matcha seasoning in a small bowl with a mini spoon. Serve them on the side.
Option: Pureed and semi-drained daikon radish pulp on the side – to be used with the dipping sauce to taste.
~ どうぞめしあがれ • Douzo Meshiagare ~
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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I really digg your traveling posts about Japan! So, new to me! x Love it! xx Again!! 😉
Thank you. Japan is fabulous and the culture so different than anywhere you can imagine.
The scenery is beautiful and so is the food, Fae! I have been told that many skip some of my wordier posts, but you have much worth reading here.
😀 ))) You are right, Tonette! My trip posts are long. 😀 ))) I am trying to make it informative and entertaining (hopefully not boring). So good to see you, Sweet Tonette. <3
Your tempura looks amazingly light and crispy…not easy to do!
Hi Karen, Yes, Tempura can be quite tricky. I was extra careful. 😀 )))
wow!! it’s simply superb
!! I feel like eating it now it self 
!!
Abitha, Thank you very much for your visits and kind words. Japanese food are so much fun.
Fae I just can’t wait to have a go at making this, so glad you are sharing all these wonderful recipes.
Hi Maria, It is perfect for using extra vegetables in the frig., frying in a cluster or individually by itself. 😛
What a great post, happy thanksgiving weekend Fae
Thank you, Lea. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Have you been to Japan?
No Fae never unfortunately
What a lovely journey and recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much. More coming up! 😀 )))
I just bought a big bag of tempura mix. I guess that’s the cheat way, lol! I’ll be making all kinds of tempura, starting with kakiage tempura. I like it that you get multiple flavors in one single bite! 😀 I love reading about your trips! Always so interesting!
Oh yes, I still remember your zucchini flower tempura. This time, we went to parts of Japan that many of my Japanese friends haven’t been to. It is fun for me to reminisce as I am writing. Actually, there are so much to say, but I keep it as short as I can.
I am so loving your posts about your trip to Japan, it has to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. It’s enchanting. Love the dish, I love tempura.
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy holiday schedule to drop me a comment. I am trying very hard to make the posts interesting and informative. 😀 ))) Japan truly has many beautiful spots… even most Japanese haven’t been to some of these places we went. Tempura is one of those dishes I rather eat at the restaurant, piping hot with just dished out rice and miso soup. Mmmm
Your tempura looks amazing, Fae! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!!
<3, Francesca. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Lovely.
<3
It all looks great!
Right now there’s a pumpkin pie cooking in my kitchen.
Pumpkin pie??? 😛 I have just finished whipping up a storm for tomorrow’s meal, and a pear cake is baking now (if it turns out well, I’ll post it). And, couldn’t fit in a pumpkin pie… I bought one. 😀 )))
Too funny! I’m sure it will all be delicious! I baked breads (challah and pumpkin bread) last week, and froze them and yesterday I baked the pumpkin pie and my daughter baked a pumpkin cheesecake. I made brownies, too. . .because well, you always need chocolate.
My sister is bringing pecan pies. Pear cake sounds great! Happy Thanksgiving!
I can imagine the lovely food in Japan, it also bought me back my honey moon there!
Variety of food galore, food displays everywhere, so many new things to try… everything tastes so~ good. Definitely not a place to hold back because of a silly thing like diet. 😀 ))) Honeymoon, especially, is a good time to reminisce… and with food! <3
This is an amazing country.Thank you Fae for this beautiful voyage…The food looks so tasty and colorful.
Happy Thanksgiving
Thank you so much, Linda! Indeed and amazing country, so unique in every fashion.
Arigatou Fae. Such a wonderful image and info laden post! Where to start? How about with the tempura? Can I have some please! <3
Dou itashimashite/you’re welcome (sounds like don’t touch my mustache)! You are smart to start with the tempura! 😀
oishisou!!! tabetai yoooo
Oishii’katta’yo! 😀 )))
Happy Thanksgiving to you too dear Fae! Your tempura could be an amazing start for no matter which occasion! Thanks for this journey + recipe. The tips you shared make your post a must try!
Thank you, Marguerite. I spent lots of time on this post… to make it a quick read for the readers of 10 second span (studies show that majority of readers have 10 second interest span), and detailed links for readers who really want to know more about Japan and the subject I am covering. I must admit… I am #1 follower of my own blog. I like to come back years later and have all the info on the subject in one place, reminisce and be entertained. 😀 )))