Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Japanese Food Glossary

I've prepared a Glossary of Japanese ingredients which I use in my Bento blog. I've linked the Japanese name of the item to a previous post in this blog. The post that is linked may not be specifically mentioning the ingredient but there is some indication of the Japanese ingredient in the mentioned post.

I will be adding on more items to this list as I use other Japanese ingredients. I hope this will be helpful to some of you who are new to Japanese ingredients. Enjoy!


1. Abura-age - fried tofu slices. (abura = oil, age = fried)
2. Azuki - Small red beans used to make an.

3. Bento - traditional boxed lunch.
4. O-cha - green tea.

5. Chawan - rice bowl.

6. Chawan mushi - egg custard with diced vegetables.

7. Daikon - white carrot shaped Japanese radish.

8. Dashi - Fish stock for cooking, generally made from kombu (a type of sea weed) and
katsuobushi (dried bonito fish shavings.)

9. Donburi -This is a traditional lunch dish referring to the ceramic bowl and matching lid the
contents of this dish are served in.
Below are the individual names of each donburi dish depending on the contents.

• Gyūdon - rice with a beef topping.

• Yakitori donburi - rice with a chicken topping.

• Tendon - rice with a tempura topping.

• Unadon - rice with an unagi (Eel) topping.

• Katsudon - rice with a pork topping.

• Oyako donburi - rice with a chicken and fried egg topping.

10. Gohan - formal word for rice, also meaning "meal".
11. Gyoza - Chinese style dumplings of meat or
vegetables.
12. Hijiki - a variety of seaweed.

13. Inari-zushi - sushi rice in fried tofu pockets.

14. Kombu - kelp - used in making dashi (soup stock).

15. Konnyaku - a gelatinous substance made from the
"devils-tongue" tuber.
16. Kyuri - long and thin, Japanese cucumber.

17. Mirin - sweetened cooking sake.

18. Miso - fermented soybean paste.

19. Mochi - Sweet glutinous rice cakes.

20. Mochiko - Sweet glutinous rice flour.

21. Natto - sticky fermented soybeans.

22. Nori - dried seaweed which comes in very thin sheets.
23. Oden - fish, fish cake and vegetables simmered in
broth.
24. Okonomiyaki - egg "pancakes" containing diced
seafood, vegetables, or meat, that are grilled and topped with a savory sauce.
25. Onigiri - rice ball.
26. Ramen - Chinese style egg noodles.
27. Saba - Mackerel. 
28. Sake - Salmon.
29. Shoyu - soy sauce.

30. Soba - buckwheat noodles. Can be served hot or cold.

31. Tamago - egg.

32. Tamagoyaki - Fried egg.

33. Teriyaki sauce - A sweetened soy sauce.

34. Tempura - Battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables.

35. Tonkatsu - Breaded and fried pork cutlet.

36. Usukuchi shoyu - Light Japanese soy sauce.

37. Wakame - a variety of seaweed.

38. Wasabi – a pungent mustard, made from green Japanese horseradish.

39. Yaki - grilled.

40. Yosenabe - A fish, seafood and vegetable soup made in a clay pot.


10 comments:

Unknown said...

dear bento pet.. thank you for the food glossary. it is so very useful that i am going to print it out and stick it on my fridge door...fantastic :)..hugs bento pet

Bento Pet said...

yozo: I was just wondering if you still visit. Haven't heard from you for some time. Thank you for your comment. Glad you found the glossary useful. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

very nice of you to such a translation. really enjoy reading it. you are a real big fan of japanese i can see.

Unknown said...

i do visit you each time you have a new post coz you are on my Google Reader List..heehee..cannot escape me liow.. geez..do I sound like a stalker to you :p. not much comments to make on your bento sets postings coz they are really lovely but i don't have any of the pretty containers :(..

Bento Pet said...

nee: A lot of people ask and Japanese ingredients can be quite confusing if one is not familiar.
It's easy if there is a reference.

Bento Pet said...

yozo: Thank you so much for visiting often. Boxes - you can buy at the 100 Yen shop. Lock&Lock brand - you can get @ Parkson or Jusco.

Don't have to get expensive boxes, then you can have a variety.

Unknown said...

thanks for the info on where to get the bento boxes :).. will go have a look around at the shops, plus the one you suggested this weekend. Have a great weekend bento pet :)

Deana E said...

thanks for the glossary...hahaha Bento is a actually a lunch box??? ops then I have get it wrong hahaha again..can i link these at my blog?

Bento Pet said...

yozo: Happy shopping!! LOL!

Bento Pet said...

deana e: Not really a lunch box but a "Boxed Lunch".
Chk this link for details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento

Happy bento-ing!

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