Back in the day, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I had an English teacher who, when a student would offer a half-witted response to a question, would throw his arms up in the air, and thunder “O tempora, o mores.” For the longest time, I was puzzled by his reference to a dish served at our single local Japanese restaurant, along with teriyaki, pickled vegetables and rice.

It wasn’t until years later that I realized it was an ancient Latin lament famously spoken by Cicero in one of his orations. It translates as, “Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!” A comment on the mental decay of the young scholars in my English teacher’s charge.

Tempura, the dish, was given its name by Spanish and Portuguese missionaries who were happy to find something new to eat during the meatless fasts of Lent and Fr

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