Put out of your mind any preconceived notions about what Japanese cuisine is. Don’t think about a Japanese steakhouse at all—beef was only introduced in the last two centuries or so.

Even tempura, a popular dish, has its origin from a Portuguese word. It refers to the time or rather quatuor tempora or ember days, which was a religious fast when the people couldn’t eat meat, so they consumed fish. Typically, the Portuguese would fry their fish in batter.

The Portuguese introduced the method in the 16th century, and tempura remained long after they were kicked out, along with a whole slew of other foods introduced by the Portuguese: kasutera, which is a Castilla, a kind of yellow sponge cake from Spain (Castile); or konpeito, which are confections (candies); karumera, or caramels.

Even soy sauce was only introduced in the last century or so. It is a Chinese invention that the Japanese seem to have perfected, but it is one example of the many things that were brought over in the past few hundred years.

Sapporo is a great beer, but it is influenced by German people. Influences also go both ways. You may be surprised to learn the Japanese are now the nation on earth with the highest per capita consumption of mayonnaise. Japan’s culture is a very different, very rapidly changing place today, especially in terms of food.

Many of Japan’s cultural and even culinary traditions came from China and Korea in particular. The most important of these is rice, which only arrived in Japan at the end of the Neolithic Period, about 2,400 years ago, with immigrants that came from the mainland.

Before that, in the Jomon Era, the Japanese were still hunters and gatherers. The original inhabitants (Ainu) were Caucasian; they had long beards and very light-colored hair. Their descendants actually still exist in small numbers; most of them are probably of mixed descent and still reside in the mountains.

Asiatic peoples came later from the continent, bringing with them rice and metal tools; and then suddenly, like everywhere else, the population rose.

Disponível em: www.wondriumdaily.com/the-story-of-sushi-and-japanese-cuisine/#:~:text=Many%20of%20Japan%27s%20cultural%20and,that%20came%20from%20the%20mainland.

Assinale V (verdadeiro) ou F (falso) para a alternativa:

O texto afirma que os portugueses foram expulsos do Japão no século XVI, mas a tradição de consumir tempurá permaneceu muito além disso.