Domyoji age is a Japanese deep-frying technique in which food, most often shrimp, is coated in domyoji-ko before being fried. Domyoji-ko is a coarse rice product made by steaming glutinous rice, drying it, and crushing it into gritty grains rather than a fine powder.
The name comes from Domyo-ji, a Buddhist temple in Osaka Prefecture where the drying method is said to have originated centuries ago as a way to preserve steamed rice for travelers and soldiers. That dried rice was later crushed into the granular domyoji-ko still used today, mainly in traditional Japanese sweets.
To make domyoji age, the coarse rice grains are pressed onto the surface of shrimp or another ingredient and deep-fried in hot oil. The grains crisp and lightly puff in the fryer, creating a distinctive nubbly, crunchy crust around a tender interior, quite different from a standard breadcrumb or batter coating.
Domyoji age is valued in Japanese cuisine for the contrast between the crisp, textured coating and the moist protein inside. It most commonly appears as fried shrimp, though other proteins or vegetables can be prepared the same way.
Some cooks bake or pan-fry the domyoji-coated pieces instead of deep-frying for a lighter, less crisp result, but deep-frying remains the traditional method.