A Japanese recipe is built from a few fixed pieces: an amount (小さじ一杯, 塩少々, 適量), a way of cutting (千切り, 輪切り), a heat (弱火, 強火) and a verb. The instructions stand in the plain or the ます form — 弱火で煮ます — because recipes avoid the blunt imperative, which would sound like an order. Several verbs are the other half of a pair met earlier: you 焦がす the fish and it 焦げる; you 冷ます a soup that would otherwise take its time to 冷める.
The words
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Verb (16)
焦がすto burn; to scorchVerbN3
話しているうちに、魚を焦がしてしまった。I was busy talking and burned the fish.
Takes を; its partner is 焦げる, to get burned.
冷ますto let cool; to cool down (something hot)VerbN3
スープが熱いので、少し冷ましてから飲んでね。The soup is hot, so let it cool a little before you drink it.
Its partner is 冷める. To chill something cold is 冷やす.
煮えるto be cooked through (by simmering)VerbN3
じゃがいもが柔らかく煮えたら、火を止めます。When the potatoes are cooked soft, turn off the heat.
Takes が; its partner is 煮る.
溶かすto melt; to dissolveVerbN3
フライパンでバターを溶かしてから、卵を入れる。Melt the butter in the frying pan, then add the eggs.
Takes を; its partner is 溶ける.
混ざるto be mixed; to blendVerbN3
全体がよく混ざるまで、ゆっくりかき混ぜてください。Stir slowly until everything is well mixed.
Takes が; its partner is 混ぜる.
溶くto beat (an egg); to mix (a powder into liquid)VerbN3
ボウルに卵を二つ割って、よく溶いてください。Crack two eggs into a bowl and beat them well.
盛るto serve (onto a plate); to heap upVerbN3
ご飯を茶碗に多めに盛ってください。Please put a generous helping of rice in the bowl.
盛り付けるto arrange (food on a plate)VerbN3
料理はきれいに盛り付けると、もっとおいしそうに見える。Food looks even more appetising when it is arranged nicely.
漬けるto pickle; to soak; to marinateVerbN3
きゅうりを塩で一晩漬けておいた。I left the cucumber to pickle in salt overnight.
Pickles are 漬け物.
こねるto kneadVerbN3
パンの生地を、手で10分ぐらいこねる。Knead the bread dough by hand for about ten minutes.
丸めるto roll into a ball; to roundVerbN3
ひき肉を小さく丸めて、スープに入れる。Roll the minced meat into small balls and add them to the soup.
泡立てるto whisk; to whipVerbN2
生クリームを泡立てて、ケーキに塗る。Whip the cream and spread it over the cake.
腐るto go bad; to rotVerbN3
夏は食べ物がすぐ腐るので、気をつけてください。Food goes off quickly in summer, so be careful.
注ぐto pourVerbN2
温めた牛乳をカップに注ぐ。Pour the warmed milk into a cup.
Pouring a drink for someone is also read つぐ.
絞るto squeeze; to wringVerbN2
焼いた魚に、レモンを絞って食べる。I squeeze lemon over grilled fish before eating it.
煮込むto stew; to simmer for a long timeVerbN3
牛肉を赤ワインで二時間煮込んだ。I stewed the beef in red wine for two hours.
Adverb (1)
少々a little; a pinchAdverbN3
最後に、塩とこしょうを少々加えます。Finally, add a pinch of salt and pepper.
In a recipe, a small unmeasured amount; in speech, the polite word for 少し.
This list belongs to Food and drink — six lists and 242 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.