Tripe and Liver Tempura

　What has struck me most since arriving in Kyoto is the tempura made from tripe (the first stomach of the cow) , called ‘mino’ in Japanese, and liver. Although it is called ‘tempura’, it is clearly a deep-fried dish coated in breadcrumbs.

　In the past, you could find this tripe and liver tempura almost everywhere, particularly in the Tanaka district, near our guesthouse. Today, it can only be found in a few restaurants in the Sōjin district, near Kyoto Station.

　One of these is ‘Satake’. Perhaps because it has moved to new premises and the place has become cleaner and more welcoming, you now see foreign tourists there. There are two sauces: a sweet one and a sweet-and-spicy one, though the latter is quite strong.

　The liver can be eaten in a single bite, but the mino is tough to chew and the breadcrumb coating comes off easily, which is a drawback. It is one of the iconic dishes of Kyoto’s traditional street food.