Why is Onigiri called so? and its literal Meaning
As I wrote in the previous post, Onigiri is a rice ball dish different from Nigiri. The latter is a style of sushi, but Onigiri is not. Some might wonder why Onigiri is not...
Category: Japanese words for food
The Original Meaning of Ponzu (Sauce)
As you know, ponzu is a sauce of Japanese origin made from citrus juice mixed with seasonings such as rice vinegar, soy sauce, and dashi. Japanese people can guess the meaning of the word...
Motsu and Horumon are the Same Things or Different?
As I wrote in this article, “Horumon (ホルモン)” is a Japanese word for “internal organs” referring to pork and beef offal, especially intestines. Regarding the origin of the word, there are various theories, but...
Chanko: Meaning of the Japanese Word
When we Japanese hear the word “Chanko (ちゃんこ)”, the first thing that comes to most people’s mind would be the staple hot pot dish of sumo wrestlers “Chanko Nabe (ちゃんこ鍋)”. Although the term Chanko...
Umai: Meaning of the Japanese Word
“Umai (うまい)” is a Japanese word often used in terms of food, in which case it is written as “旨い” or “美味い” using Chinese characters or Kanji, meaning “tasty” or “delicious“. Meaning of Umai...
What Nanban Means in Japanese Food Names
Nanban Soba, Chicken Nanban, Nanban Zuke, Nanban Gashi… In Japanese food culture, a lot of “Nanban (南蛮)” things can be seen. But what is Nanban? Meaning of Nanban (南蛮) Nanban, when used as a...
Another Meaning of “Kamo (カモ: Duck)” in Japanese
As you may know, Kamo (カモ/鴨) means duck in Japanese. In the Japanese language, there are three common words for “duck” in English; One is Kamo (カモ/鴨), which refers to a wild duck. Another...
Oishii vs. Umai vs. Uma vs. Yabai: Delicious in Japanese
To say “Delicious” almost always pleases the cook who prepared the dish, which (of course) also applies to Japan. So if you memorize how to say Delicious in Japanese, you will be almost ready...
