N2 · 40 words
Cooking, flavour and texture
The words of recipes, cookery programmes and talk about how food tastes.
A recipe in Japanese is precise about stages English runs together. 下味 is seasoning added before cooking, 隠し味 the small thing nobody should be able to name, and 仕込み the work a restaurant kitchen does before it opens. Texture matters as much as taste, so 歯ごたえ and 口当たり come up in ordinary praise of food, not only in a chef’s vocabulary. A home meal is thought of as a 主菜 with one or two 副菜 beside the rice and a soup, and these two words turn up on school lunch menus and in cookery magazines.
The words
View
Verb (6)
和えるto dress; to toss (with a sauce)VerbN2
茹でたほうれん草を、すりごまで和えた。I dressed the boiled spinach with ground sesame.
炙るto sear; to grill lightly over a flameVerbN2
表面を軽く炙ったサーモンが、この店の名物だ。Salmon lightly seared on the surface is this restaurant’s speciality.
煮立つto come to the boilVerbN2
鍋が煮立ったら、火を弱めて味噌を溶く。When the pot comes to the boil, turn down the heat and stir in the miso.
蒸らすto let stand and steam (rice)VerbN2
ご飯が炊けても、すぐにふたを開けずに少し蒸らす。When the rice is done, leave the lid on and let it steam a little longer.
取り分けるto serve out (into portions)VerbN2
大きなお皿のサラダを、小皿に取り分けた。I served the salad from the big dish onto small plates.
傷むto go off; to spoil (of food)VerbN2
夏は食べ物が傷みやすいので、冷蔵庫に入れておこう。Food goes off quickly in summer, so let us keep it in the fridge.
Not 痛む, to hurt, which sounds the same.
Noun (29)
調理cooking; food preparationNounN2
調理師の資格を取って、病院の厨房で働いている。I qualified as a cook and work in a hospital kitchen.
The formal and professional word; at home say 料理する.
下ごしらえpreparing ingredients in advanceNounN2
野菜の下ごしらえは、前の晩に済ませておいた。I had already prepared the vegetables the evening before.
仕込みadvance preparation (in a restaurant)NounN2
ラーメン屋の主人は、開店前に何時間もかけてスープの仕込みをする。Before opening, the ramen shop owner spends hours preparing the stock.
満腹full (after eating)NounN2
お昼に満腹になるまで食べると、午後は眠くなってしまう。If I eat until I am full at lunch, I get sleepy in the afternoon.
Also used like a na-adjective: 満腹な.
下味seasoning added before cooking; marinadeNounN2
鶏肉に、醤油とにんにくで下味をつけておく。Season the chicken beforehand with soy sauce and garlic.
隠し味secret ingredient; hidden flavouringNounN2
このカレーには、隠し味にチョコレートが少し入っている。This curry has a little chocolate in it as a secret ingredient.
風味flavour (taste and aroma together)NounN2
バターを使うと、風味がぐっと良くなる。Using butter makes the flavour much better.
甘みsweetnessNounN2
冬の大根は甘みが強くておいしい。Winter daikon is especially sweet and tasty.
歯ごたえfirmness to the bite; chewinessNounN2
茹ですぎると、麺の歯ごたえがなくなる。If you boil the noodles too long, they lose their bite.
口当たりhow something feels in the mouthNounN2
このワインは口当たりがいいので、つい飲みすぎてしまう。This wine goes down so easily that I always end up drinking too much.
空腹hunger; an empty stomachNounN2
空腹のときに買い物に行くと、つい買いすぎてしまう。If you go shopping when you are hungry, you end up buying too much.
汁物soup (served with a Japanese meal)NounN2
和食では、ご飯と汁物におかずを添えるのが基本だ。A Japanese meal is basically rice and soup with a few dishes alongside.
水気moisture; water (left on food)NounN2
洗った野菜は、よく水気を切ってから炒める。Drain the washed vegetables well before you stir-fry them.
盛り付けarranging food on a plate; presentationNounN2
料理は味だけでなく、盛り付けも大事だ。With food, it is not only the taste that matters but the presentation too.
器dish; bowl; vesselNounN2
料理に合わせて器を選ぶのも、楽しみの一つだ。Choosing the right dish for each food is one of the pleasures of cooking.
Also a person’s calibre: 器が大きい, big-hearted.
食べ頃the best time to eat (ripe, in season)NounN2
店の人に、どのメロンが食べ頃か聞いてみた。I asked the shop assistant which melon was ready to eat.
惣菜ready-made side dishesNounN2
仕事で疲れた日は、スーパーのお惣菜で済ませる。On days when I am tired from work, I make do with ready-made dishes from the supermarket.
Usually with お; also written 総菜.
主菜main dish (of a meal)NounN2
今日の主菜は、焼き魚にしよう。Let us have grilled fish as the main dish today.
副菜side dishNounN2
栄養のバランスを考えて、副菜に野菜を多めに用意する。With a balanced diet in mind, I make plenty of vegetables as side dishes.
作り置きcooking ahead; food made in advanceNounN2
週末におかずを作り置きしておくと、平日が楽になる。If you cook some dishes ahead at the weekend, weekdays are much easier.
手料理home cooking (made by someone personally)NounN2
友人を家に招いて、手料理でもてなした。I invited friends round and treated them to a meal I had cooked myself.
常温room temperatureNounN2
開封前なら、常温で保存できます。Unopened, it can be kept at room temperature.
食べ残しfood left uneaten (on the plate)NounN2
食べ残しを出さないように、量を少なめに注文した。So as not to leave food on our plates, we ordered smaller amounts.
栄養素nutrientNounN2
野菜には、体に必要な栄養素が多く含まれている。Vegetables contain many of the nutrients the body needs.
糖分sugar (content)NounN2
ジュースには、思ったより多くの糖分が入っている。Fruit juice contains more sugar than you would think.
食生活eating habits; dietNounN2
一人暮らしを始めてから、食生活が乱れがちだ。Since I started living alone, my eating habits have tended to go to pieces.
本場the home (of a food); the real thingNounN2
本場のイタリアで食べたピザは、日本のものとは全然違った。The pizza I ate in Italy, where it comes from, was quite different from the pizza in Japan.
味覚sense of taste; palateNounN2
風邪を引いて、味覚が鈍くなっている。I have a cold, and my sense of taste has gone dull.
出来立てfreshly made; just cookedNounN2
出来立てのコロッケは、外がさくさくしている。Freshly made croquettes are crisp on the outside.
Often written in kana: できたて.
i-adjective (3)
香ばしいwith a roasted aroma; toastyi-adjectiveN2
パン屋の前を通ると、香ばしい匂いがした。As I passed the bakery, there was a lovely smell of baking.
Only for the smell of something roasted, toasted or baked.
生臭いfishy; smelling of raw fish or meati-adjectiveN2
古くなった魚は生臭いので、すぐにわかる。Fish that is no longer fresh smells fishy, so you can tell at once.
塩辛いsaltyi-adjectiveN2
この漬物は塩辛いので、少しずつ食べてください。These pickles are salty, so eat them a little at a time.
In speech, especially in eastern Japan, しょっぱい.
na-adjective (2)
濃厚rich; thick; strong (of flavour)na-adjectiveN2
このチーズケーキは、濃厚な味で人気がある。This cheesecake is popular for its rich taste.
淡白light; delicate; plain (of taste)na-adjectiveN2
白身の魚は味が淡白なので、ソースと合わせるといい。White fish has a delicate taste, so it goes well with a sauce.
Also of a person: indifferent, not greedy. Sometimes written 淡泊.
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.