The recipe for tempurá that is successful on the streets of Belém is originally Japanese. Ken, who has been making and selling this delicacy for almost ten years, is Nissei, meaning he is a second-generation Japanese immigrant. His parents came in search of a better life shortly after World War II. “There are many Japanese people in Belém,” he says — yes, the Japanese community in Pará, which started in 1929, is the third largest in the country. Between 1952 and 1965 alone, approximately 45,000 Japanese people disembarked in the state, where many experienced hunger, including his own family. It was his mother who taught him how to make tempurá, a simple mixture of inexpensive ingredients. However, he admits to adapting the flavor to the Brazilian palate. “I try to season it a bit more,” he says. The batter made of chopped vegetables, flour, eggs, and seasonings is prepared at home on a stove brought from Japan, where Ken lived for four years. Although he has a degree in chemical engineering, he never practiced the profession. He took some public service exams but, when he finally passed, he was already on the street with his tempurá. “I didn’t accept it, I gave up to stay here. We have to do what we love.”