X is for Xavier

St. Francis Xavier was a missionary to the Japanese. Much can be read about him at New Advent.

I don't know much about this great saint, but there is a related subject I would like to discuss. Tempura.

You see, this popular Japanese dish was actually created, or at least inspired by the Catholics who were the earliest missionaries to Japan. The word tempura comes from "tempora", meaning either time, time period, season, etc. When Lent rolled around on these early missions, they did what comes natural to Catholics. The held a fish fry.

We are out of Lent now, but here is a recipe to hold on to for next year, or to use on Fridays as is proper. Vegetable tempura is excellent too, especially with a mix of broccoli and cabbage slices.