Questions tagged [food]
食べ物. Words and phrases for food and drinks or related to their preparation, consumption, tradition, and other aspects.
89
questions
23
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2answers
1k views
Most appropriate word for 'food'
I have seen many ways of saying 'food'. I am wondering if there is ever a difference in appropriateness.
食品、食べ物、～物(type+物)、飯、ご飯、etc.
Most commonly, I think, is 食べ物, but I thought I'd use 食品 for an ...
22
votes
4answers
27k views
What's the difference between “さけ” (sake) and “しゃけ” (shake)?
Today I saw onigiri claiming to contain "しゃけ" (shake). When I asked my friend what that was, she said it was the same as "さけ" (sake), "salmon".
So are these two just different readings of a kanji, ...
22
votes
4answers
6k views
Since Japanese already had several words for rice why was “ライス” (raisu) borrowed from English?
Last night I had dinner in a ramen restaurant in northern Japan and was surprised to read the katakana "ライス" (raisu) on the menu. This is obviously the English word "rice" borrowed. But what kind of ...
22
votes
2answers
24k views
Words/characters for fast food meal sizes: 並, 大, 特
When dining at Yoshinoya I never know how to ask for the size meal I want.
Their sizes are 並, 大, and 特.
I only know that "大" means big, but it also has two readings so I have no idea whether to ask ...
18
votes
6answers
52k views
What's the difference between “gohan” and “meshi”?
In answer to my question on the difference between "gyūdon" and "gyūmeshi" I learned that "meshi" just means cooked rice. But I thought "gohan" meant cooked rice, so please, what is the difference?
I ...
16
votes
2answers
3k views
Differences between the many words for dinner
According to my dictionary, the following words all mean the same thing: "Dinner":
[夜]{よる}ご[飯]{はん}, [晩]{ばん}ご[飯]{はん}, [晩飯]{ばんめし}, [晩食]{ばんしょく}, [夕]{ゆう}ご[飯]{はん}, [夕飯]{ゆうはん(ゆうめし)}, [夕食]{ゆうしょく}
A similar ...
14
votes
2answers
714 views
Different conventions for animal meat
After reading this awesome question, I got to thinking about different animal meat. Upon researching a little, there seems to be different conventions in referring to different meats.
Using 訓読み
（...
13
votes
4answers
3k views
How would you translate this? バタコチーズライス
So I'm working on translating a short recipe that I found online. The title calls it バタコチーズライス. I know that バタ is "butter", チーズ is "cheese", and ライス is "rice", but I can't for the life of me figure ...
13
votes
2answers
10k views
Would I have 牛乳 or ミルク with my cereal?
I've just found out that there's a couple of words for milk, and that they have slightly different meanings. Which one would I have with my Weetbix in a "viking style" breakfast in Niseko?
Based on ...
13
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the etymology of [山葵]{わさび}?
I know that "わさび" 'wasabi' can also be written using kanji as "山葵" and that these two characters mean respectively "mountain" and "hollyhock", but hollyhock doesn't seem at first glance to be related.
...
12
votes
3answers
5k views
Why are the names of plants and animals often written in katakana?
I was wondering why fruits, vegetables, animals and plants, are written in katakana? Often, there exist kanjis for those, so why aren't they written with those kanjis instead? For example:
カマキリ ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
What words are used for dolphin meat?
What words are used for dolphin meat?
Searching jisho.org using "dolphin" in the English field listed several different words for dolphin, but no compounds involving meat.
Neither the English nor ...
12
votes
2answers
17k views
Onigiri and nigiri
I was reading this two articles:
Onigiri wikipedia's article
Nigiri explanation inside wikipedia's sushi article
I first thought that onigiri was a type of sushi but it's not.
It calls my attention ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
How to actually order fast food?
Alright I've been told so many different things on how to order, specifically fast food and for some reason I have never gotten a straight answer.
The popular ones is to say ____をください or _____ お願いします....
10
votes
1answer
762 views
つけ用 in Udon preparation recipe
I have the following text on some Sanuki Udon I brought home with me ;)
This is the part for ざるうどん:
水洗いした麺をざるに盛り、あらかじめ用意したつけ用つゆに、生姜、ねぎ、ごまなどお好みの薬味を添えてお召し上がりください。
So, つゆ is the sauce or soup, ...
10
votes
2answers
293 views
Etymology of “よう” in “豆腐{とうふ}よう”
I found out there is a special kind of Okinawan tofu called 豆腐よう.
According to EDIC/WWWJDIC it can also be written as "豆腐餻" and "唐芙蓉".
"餻" seems to mean "cakes, pastry", but considering that this is ...
9
votes
1answer
7k views
What's the difference between “マグロ” (maguro), “ツナ” (tsuna), and “シーチキン” (shiichikin)?
It seems that there are (at least) three words for "tuna" in Japanese:
"マグロ" / "鮪" / "まぐろ" (maguro) - Seems to be the native name for the creature and used at least in sushi
"ツナ" (tsuna) - Seems to ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the difference between “meshi” and “don” for the food sometimes translated as “rice bowl” in English?
I'm a big fan of the Japanese fast food gyudon (cooked thinly sliced beef strips on top of a bowl of boiled white rice) and its variants such as butadon (the same but with pork).
But why do some ...
9
votes
1answer
10k views
On “おてもと” and its many variants for “chopsticks”
I've always known the Japanese word for "chopsticks" to be (お)箸{はし}.
Today in my usual practice of reading everything around me I looked up what was written on the wrapper of the disposable ...
8
votes
2answers
754 views
What's the difference between “巻寿司” (makizushi), “海苔巻き” (norimaki), and “巻物” (makimono)?
It seems there are three words for the same Japanese food item, a kind of "sushi in a long roll":
"巻寿司" (makizushi)
"海苔巻き" (norimaki)
"巻物" (makimono)
Are they all identical / synonyms? Do they refer ...
8
votes
2answers
377 views
Which part is the tail in 人参{にんじん}の尻尾{しっぽ}
What is meant by a "carrot tail"?
人参{にんじん}の尻尾{しっぽ}
Is it the green part or the orange part?
A google image search does not really help, since "carrot" comes up in every one, but no picture I have ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
Are the names of some food items written in katakana?
Japanese for Busy People 1 (lesson 11) mentions when talking about [キス]{kisu} (whiting) at a [てんぷらや]{tempura-ya}:
NOTE: Names of fish, fruits and vegetables etc. are sometimes written in katakana.
...
7
votes
4answers
588 views
Why is coffee with shochu or awamori called コーヒー割{わ}り “split / divided coffee”?
About five nights ago I went out with a local friend to a traditional Okinawan club in Naha.
We were of course drinking 泡盛{あわもり} (awamori) with water and ice.
But the girl working there had a drink ...
7
votes
3answers
5k views
Does “おつまみ” (otsumami) mean “snack” or “rice crackers” or “crunchy snack” like chips and peanuts, or something else entirely?
This is a word I learned by reading and not by studying or in conversation with Japanese.
After learning the kana years ago I had occasion to fly with JAL and the pre-meal snack was a little packet ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
Is there a word for the type of onigiri that comes in the triangular wrap that keeps the nori fresh?
The term "onigiri" covers all kinds of rice balls, with or without filling, and with or without nori seaweed around it.
Is there a specific term that only covers the one class of onigiri available in ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
How to say pork loin in Japanese
How do you say pork loin in Japanese? Jisho.org says it should be ロース, but it seems too vague since I want to use it in a recipe. What about 豚ロース肉?
7
votes
1answer
376 views
Are 清酒{せいしゅ} and 日本酒{にほんしゅ} two words for the same thing?
As well as the several other kinds of Japanese alcoholic drinks I seem to have found two words which both mean the drink known in the west as "saké".
Now I know 酒{さけ} can be used for many kinds of ...
7
votes
1answer
464 views
Special Katsudon table with a light?
Based on the text below, apparently there is a special type of table in some Japanese restaurants made for eating Katsudon.
どうしてレストランのテーブルにデスクランプがあるんだろう。
デスクランプのあるテーブルを挟んで座るって、なんだか取調室を連想させる。...
7
votes
2answers
109 views
Difference between ビーフ and 牛肉
Is there a difference on how these two words should be used? I see 牛肉 used a lot more than ビーフ, but I'm wondering if there is a certain context for each of the two words.
7
votes
2answers
187 views
How did Japanese obtain a unit of measure called a カップ that's 200 mL?
I've encountered a measuring cup which has units of カップ, 水mℓ (水ml), 米[unknown kanji]g and [three unknown kanji]g. 1 カップ corresponds exactly to 200 水mℓ.
According to Wikipedia, there's a Japanese cup ...
6
votes
4answers
3k views
How to ask whether a dish is pescetarian-friendly?
I'm traveling to a smallish city in Japan a little over a week from now (I'll be there two weeks), and I'm wondering what is the best way to ask a server whether or not a particular dish is ...
6
votes
3answers
435 views
What is a 丁寧 food?
When eating ramen, a Japanese person commented on how the ramen of this shop are 丁寧.
What does 丁寧 means in the context of food?
丁寧 means polite in social contexts, but I am not sure it the same ...
6
votes
5answers
336 views
What does 「歴史を刻め」 even mean?
I looked up some recipes in Japanese and I couldn't help but notice the phrase 「歴史を刻め」 virtually everywhere. I might be stupid but I can't seem to understand what "mincing history" means.
What gives?
6
votes
1answer
467 views
Is there a Japanese word for “area with a collection of izakaya stalls or booths”?
I know that the traditional Japanese style pubs that serve food as well as drinks are called "居酒屋".
But once a few years ago in Yamagata city, and last night here in Kagoshima city, I ended up in a ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the etymology of the word Katsu?
I heard from an English man that the katsu karē (カツカレー) dish was from English inspiration originally: he told me that the word 'katsu' is coming from cutlet and 'karē' would be curry.
Please can ...
5
votes
2answers
700 views
What would be the specific name of this type of bowl?
The closest thing that I can find is Donburi? but that seems more like types of food not bowls.
ADDING:
This is about 15 and a half cm/6in
5
votes
1answer
409 views
Japanese wheel mortar
What is the Japanese word for a wheel mortar? This is a mortar that is shaped like a boat or a trough, and a wheel with a hole in it through which there is a wooden axle. The operator pushes the wheel ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Are “ピーナッツ” and “ピーナツ” both correct for “peanut(s)”?
I've just noticed that the usual word for "peanut" or "peanuts" in Japanese is "ピーナッツ" (pīnattsu), but the first spelling I found, from looking in the translation table in the English Wiktionary was ...
5
votes
1answer
446 views
Counter word for prepackaged instant ramen
What would be the most adequate counter word for this type of instant noodles?
Like '1 package of ramen'.
5
votes
1answer
143 views
How much buzz is there in 式 of 手打ち式 udon noodles?
A lady in front of me in a line to the register had a pack of udon noodles in her basket. It read:
うどん・手打ち式
How much buzz is there in such a phrase? Is it comparable to using 手打ち風? Or could it ...
5
votes
1answer
217 views
レアチーズケーキ: Does 「レア」 originally come from “rare” or from “layer”?
レアチーズケーキ is a kind of cheesecake which is not baked.
What is the etymology of the レア part of this word?
Academic references needed, as this is a controversial topic:
The top Google result claims it ...
5
votes
2answers
755 views
What are the origins of the names of tanuki and kitsune noodle dishes?
Two of Japan's native wild animals are the きつね fox and たぬき raccoon dog.
Interestingly there are also noodle dishes apparently named after each. (Not containing the meat of those animals!)
The terms ...
5
votes
1answer
703 views
Is マスカット an accurate translation for “green grape”, and what foreign word is it derived from?
I'm new to Japanese so I'm working my way through Human Japanese, when I was adding the vocabulary to Quizlet I realized I didn't know how to type マスカット because I'm not used to seeing ツ used like that....
5
votes
1answer
2k views
What's the difference between shokumotsu (食物) and tabemono (食べ物),
They both convey the meaning of "meal" or "food", but I don't know which one I should use. Which ones would be used most of the time for everyday-conversations? Would these two sentences mean the same?...
5
votes
1answer
102 views
不味い versus 嫌い with food
I posted a sentence to be corrected which was:
私は辛い野菜が不味い。
and they told me to use 「嫌い」 instead of 「不味い」.
What is the difference between the two when it comes to food?
5
votes
1answer
175 views
What word that resembles “teikkai” might refer to “the provenance of a food”?
The introduction to the 10th Anniversary Edition of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone contains the following passage on page 4 (emphasis added):
Vegetarians have often used the phrase "I don't eat ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Counter for bowls of ramen?
I'm writing a skit but I need a counter for bowls of ramen. ひとつ ふたつ somehow sounds weird. Is there a counter for bowls?
4
votes
1answer
782 views
In concrete terms, what does 惣菜 mean?
I understand the dictionary definition of 惣菜:
日常のおかず。副食物。
Basically, "a thing you frequently eat as an accompaniment to rice; a [non-staple] side dish".
Practically speaking, though, I don't ...
4
votes
2answers
128 views
Are 頂きます and ご馳走さま used when eating in public?
I have heard these words used when dining in a person's home, but I am not sure if it's appropriate to use them in a restaurant.
4
votes
2answers
272 views
