Nagoya Dining

When outsiders think about Nagoya’s meibutsu [local specialties], a few things will spring to mind. Miso katsu will be one, and tebasaki will be another, but ebi furai will quite possibly be highest on the list. These immense deep-fried shrimp are as Nagoyan as Nana-chan, and you can get them everywhere. But did you know that there is another, less well known, shrimp dish that is just as beloved by the locals, though is infinitely more practical than the ebi furai behemoths? Tenmusu is essentially an onigiri [rice ball] wrapped in nori [seaweed], that inside houses a small ebiten [tempura prawn]. Though these adorable snacks – they look like a little doll wrapped in a kimono – originally come from Tsu in Mie Prefecture, today they are very much considered a Nagoya thing. The name is a portmanteau of tenpura and omusubi [a word for a triangular rice bball], and they are incredibly delicious thanks to the fact that the prawn’s batter is made using tentsuyu, the dipping sauce that that you get with tempura, giving it a slightly sweet taste. Where to find tenmusu in Nagoya Tenmusu Senju With a name like ‘The Birthplace of Tenmusu’, you have to…