Early tempura used lard when its batter contained flour, sugar, and sake.
The earliest Japanese version associated with Portuguese influence was unlike the light, airy tempura served today. In late-sixteenth-century Nagasaki, foods were covered in a relatively thick batter made with flour, sugar, and sake, then fried in lard. Because the batter was already seasoned, the finished food could be eaten without the dipping sauce now considered typical.
This style reflects both European technique and local adaptation. Portuguese missionaries and traders introduced flour-based frying, while Japanese cooks applied it to available fish and vegetables. The name “tempura” is often connected with Portuguese Catholic observances and the Latin word tempora, referring to religious fasting periods, though the precise etymology is debated.
By the early seventeenth century, Edo-area cooks had changed the formula. They favored fresh seafood, a thinner batter of flour, egg, and water, and frying oils such as sesame oil. The batter became deliberately mild, allowing tentsuyu and grated daikon to provide flavor. So lard is correct for the early form described, not the standard fat associated with modern tempura.