287 - Crunchy, Chewy, Gooey Goodness
Last week I got a wisdom tooth pulled. And I have to get another one pulled later this week.
Cultural Note: Everyone in the US seems to get their wisdom teeth taken out all at once, but in both Japan and Thailand apparently, it's more common to do one side at a time. I have mixed feelings about both approaches.
Anyways, a wisdom tooth extraction means I can't eat anything.
So instead I've been dreaming about food all week.
Since Japanese people are humans, they too love food. And they have quite a repertoire of onomatopoeic terms for it:
アツアツ・あつあつ // piping hot
フワフワ・ふわふわ // light; airy; fluffy
カリカリ・かりかり // crispy; crunchy
ホクホク・ほくほく // soft (in a big, delicious way)
モチモチ・もちもち // spongy; springy; chewy
トロトロ・とろとろ // creamy; syrupy; gooey
サクサク・さくさく // crunchy; crispy
シャキシャキ・しゃきしゃき // crisp
Whoa. One at a time, please...
アツアツ・あつあつ // piping hot
アツアツのおでん食べたいな。
あつあつ の おでん たべたい な。
I feel like some piping hot oden.
Literally: “piping hot + の + oden + want to eat + な.”
I once had a friend comment that Japanese people have leather tongues, because they can eat ridiculously hot food. I laughed, because it was funny. And it was funny because it was true.
I don't know if it's a cultural thing or a biological thing, but all kinds of foods are too hot for me in Japan. So I always end up sitting around like a loser for the first couple of minutes while all of my Japanese friends get to dig in and enjoy themselves. It's not fair, I tell you. Not fair!
フワフワ・ふわふわ // light; airy; fluffy
このパンケーキ、超ふわふわ！
この パンケーキ ちょう ふわふわ！
This pancake is so fluffy!
Literally: “this + pancake, + super- + fluffy!”
I love this word. Doesn't it sound so light, airy, and fluffy? ふわふわ！ふわふわ！
カリカリ・かりかり // crispy; crunchy
ホクホク・ほくほく // soft (in a big, delicious way)
カリカリのポテトよりほくほくのポテトのほうが好きです。
かりかり の ポテト より ほくほく の ポテト の ほう が すき です。
I prefer soft French fries over crispy ones.
Literally: “crispy / crunchy + の + French fries (=potato) + more than (=より) + soft (and delicious) + の + French fries の + way + が + liking + です.”
When I translated ほくほく as "soft," Rei did not seem happy. "I don't know any other word for it!" I explained.
It's not just "soft," she said. You open up a big, steaming potato, and the inside is not just soft, it's delicious, delectable! It's ほくほく. Note that you'll probably only see this word used for hot, soft things such as potatoes, kabocha, and chestnuts.
モチモチ・もちもち // spongy; springy; chewy
ここのナンはもちもちしてておいしいんだよ。
ここ の ナン は もちもち してて おいしい んだよ。
The naan here is nice and spongy [chewy; springy].
Literally: “here + の + naan + は + chewy (=mochi-like) + does (and) + delicious + んだよ.”
I don't know how to translate もちもち.
Have you ever eaten mochi before? You know how it has that certain texture? It's not just chewy. It has a spring to it.
Well, when any food has that quality, we can say that it's もちもち. It's used to refer to a lot of bread-type foods.
トロトロ・とろとろ // creamy; syrupy; gooey
外はカリカリ、中はとろとろのたこ焼きが食べたい。
そと は かりかり、 なか は とろとろ の たこやき が たべたい。
I want some takoyaki that's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Literally: “outside + は + crispy / crunchy, + inside + は + creamy / gooey + の + takoyaki + が + want to eat.”
If you look up images of とろとろ, some of them are straight up goo---globs of melting cheese; thick, drooping sauces. All that good stuff.
サクサク・さくさく // crunchy; crispy
揚げ物をサクサクに作るコツはなんですか？
あげもの を さくさく に つくる こつ は なん ですか？
How do you fry food so that it's nice and crunchy?
Literally: “fried food + を + crispy / crunchy + に + make + trick / technique + は + what + ですか?”
Notice how I've translated both さくさく and かりかり as "crispy?" That's because I have no idea how to simply differentiate the two in English.
かりかり is more of a cracker-like, snapping crispiness.
さくさく, on the other hand, is a crunchy texture, often on the outside of a food... which is why it's used to describe fried chicken.
Speaking of which, I'm sorry America, but fried chicken is better in Japan. Some places in Japan have simply mastered crunchifying the outside of an あつあつ piece of fried chicken. I don't know how they do it. Some restaurants still suck, though.
シャキシャキ・しゃきしゃき // crisp
新鮮な野菜はシャキシャキしてるね。
しんせん な やさい は しゃきしゃき してる ね。
These fresh vegetables are nice and crisp.
Literally: “fresh + vegetables + は + crisp + are doing + ね.”
シャキシャキ tends to be used for vegetables that are crisp.
Bonus Phrase:
歯ごたえ
はごたえ
feel [consistency] of food while being chewed
In other words, this is a word for referring to a food's texture in general:
歯ごたえがよくておいしい。
はごたえ が よくて おいしい。
Its nice texture adds to the flavor.
Literally: “texture + が + good (and) + delicious.”
I can't write this lesson anymore.
I want to eat! I think I'm gonna go cry or something...
0 comments