Taiwan is a melting pot. We were ruled by the Japanese government for fifty years. The arrival of the Japanese in 1895 brought an array of ingredients ranging from seaweed and raw fish to tempura and miso. Most of our elders speak Japanese, and Japanese food is my comfort food. When I was little, tempura was a treat that I looked forward to indulging in every time my dad or grandma took me to a nice Japanese restaurant. I can never resist the crunchy feeling of a tempura shrimp in my mouth. Never! Now I am in my thirties, and those crunchy treats bring me back to my childhood. Every time I see a plate of tempura shrimp, my eyes light up with joy and excitement.
Brownies were a novelty for me, but for Robin, they were a huge part of her childhood and spark happy memories. Just like tempura is my weakness, brownies are Robin’s weakness. She also loves fried food. “If you fry it, I will eat it,” she said. So here we are, the tempura brownie—an Asian twist on an American confectionary classic. You can’t go wrong!
