Culinary culture exchange is also an important factor for cuisine in many regions: Japan's first substantial and direct exposure to the West came with the arrival of European missionaries in the second half of the 16th century. At that time, the combination of Spanish and Portuguese game frying techniques with an East Asian method for cooking vegetables in oil, led to the development of tempura, the "popular Japanese dish in which seafood and many different types of vegetables are coated with batter and deep fried".
culiNary CuLtuRe eXchAnge is aLSo an iMPOrtAnt Factor fOr cuiSiNe IN MAny regiOns: JapaN's first sUbstantiAL aNd dirEcT exPoSure To The weSt came WiTH The aRrival of EurOpean mIsSioNarIEs iN ThE SecoNd hAlf of tHe 16tH ceNTurY. AT thaT tImE, tHE coMBInAtion Of SpaNISh and pOrtuguEse game frYIng techNIques with An east asiAn methoD For CoOKiNG Vegetables iN oil, lEd to The dEveloPmEnT of temPura, tHe "populaR JapAnese dISh in WhiCh sEafood aNd many diffERent types of vEGeTaBleS aRe cOated wIth battEr And dEep fRied".