Kakiage using fresh sakura shrimp is usually offered near Suruga Bay.
Kakiage is a type of tempura made by combining small pieces of seafood, vegetables, or both in batter and frying them as a single crisp mound. Unlike a whole shrimp tempura, the ingredients are mixed together, producing a fritter-like disk or irregular cluster.
Fresh sakura shrimp are closely associated with Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture, where the tiny pink shrimp are caught. That local supply explains why kakiage made with fresh sakura shrimp is especially associated with the bay’s surrounding area. Dried sakura shrimp are easier to transport and therefore appear much more widely.
The name kakiage is linked to the idea of raking or gathering ingredients together as they fry. The dish may be served with tentsuyu and grated daikon, over rice as kakiage-don, or on soba and udon. Suruga Bay is therefore the geographic clue connecting the ingredient to the dish.