481 - Basic Kitchen Tools
I can read a variety of things in Japanese--manga, novels, blog posts, etc.
But there is one thing that I still suck at reading: Cookbooks!
As such, lately I've been trudging through this masterpiece:
料理の基本
りょうり の きほん
The Basics of Cooking
Literally: “cooking + の + basis / foundation”
おいしくなるコツが身につく！
おいしく なる コツ が みにつく！
Learn the tricks to making food delicious!
Literally: “delicious / tasty + become + knack / trick / skill + が + acquire / master!”
It would take a lengthy, involved course to explain all the different bits of language and culture that go into understanding Japanese recipes, so we won't get to cover all of it in this lesson.
By the way, do you think we should create a course like that? Our hands are already pretty full trying to make bonus content for NDLs (i.e. NDL Premium) and updating the Hacking Japanese Supercourse, but it might be worth considering a "Cooking Japanese" course for the future, yeah?
Anyway, in this lesson we're going to look at basic (Japanese) kitchen tools:
これだけは用意したい
これ だけ は ようい したい
You’ll want to prepare these, at the very least.
Literally: “this + only + は + preparation + want to do”
基本の道具
きほん の どうぐ
basic tools
Literally: “basis / foundation + の + tools”
料理を始めるのにそれほど多くの道具はいりません
りょうり を はじめる のに それほど おおく の どうぐ は いりません
You don’t need all that many tools to start cooking.
Literally: “cooking + を + start + のに (=in order to) + (not) that much + many + の + tools + は + don’t need.”
まずはこれだけあれば大丈夫
まずは これ だけ あれば だいじょうぶ
To start, just these are enough.
Literally: “first of all / to begin with + this + only + if one has + OK / all right.”
Most of these tools and utensils will be quite familiar to you (for example, a kitchen knife). Other might seem just a bit peculiar in style or appearance. All of them will be found in most Japanese kitchens:
Here's a list with English and kana breakdowns:
ザル
colander; strainer
ボウル
bowl
片手鍋
かたてなべ
single-handle pot
計量カップ
けいりょう カップ
measuring cup
Literally: “measurement + cup”
計量スプーン
けいりょう スプーン
measuring spoon
Literally: “measurement + spoon”
木べら
きべら
wooden spatula
ゴムべら
rubber spatula
菜箸
さいばし
cooking chopsticks; long chopsticks (for cooking)
フライパン
frying pan
おたま
ladle
包丁
ほうちょう
kitchen knife; carving knife
まな板
まないた
cutting board; chopping board
Many of us have our pet kitchen tools, be they tongs, pizza cutters, or meat thermometers.
So the publishers of this book were kind enough to include this note:
これ以外のものは使用頻度に個人差があります。
これ いがい の もの は しよう ひんど に こじんさ が あります。
The amount that people use items other than these depends on personal preference.
Literally: “this + other than + の + thing + は + frequency of use + に + individual differences + が + there is.”
不便を感じたら買い足して！
ふべん を かんじたら かいたして！
If you feel inconvenienced, then buy additional items!
Literally: “inconvenience + を + if felt + make additional purchases / buy additional (things)!”
OK. So now you know the names of a bunch of kitchen tools.
The real challenge is using them in sentences!
Here are lots of examples of how you can do that...
After texting your friend about the awesome cooking party you're hosting this weekend, they might respond with...
料理パーティー？やったー！ザルとかボウルとか持ってるよね？
りょうり パーティー？ やったー！ ザル とか ボウル とか もってる よ ね？
A cooking party? Score! You have a colander and bowls and stuff, right?
Literally: “cooking + party? + hooray! + colander + とか + bowl + とか + are holding + よね?”
When your friend says that she doesn't need a pot; she's fine with just a frying pan (blasphemy!), you can scold her by saying...
片手鍋くらいは必要でしょ。
かたてなべ くらい は ひつよう でしょ。
At the very least, you need a (single-handled) pot.
Literally: “single-handled pot + at least + は + necessary + でしょ.”
When your Japanese spouse tries to cook dinner for her new family in the US, she'll say...
アメリカの計量カップ難しい。
アメリカ の けいりょうカップ むずかしい。
American measuring cups are difficult to use.
Literally: “America + の + measuring cup + difficult.”
When you've fooled your Japanese friend into making some delicious sweets at your house, they might at one point ask...
ゴムべらどこ？
ゴムべら どこ？
Where’s a rubber spatula?
Literally: “rubber spatula + where?”
You'll shrug and say...
ないよ。木べらならあるけど。
ない よ。 きべら なら ある けど。
I don’t have one. I have a wooden spatula, though.
Literally: “there is not / don’t have (one) + よ. + wooden spatula + if (it is the case that) + there is / have + けど.”
When you're outside of Asia and can't find good cooking chopsticks anywhere, you can complain that...
菜箸使わないで料理するなんて変。
さいばし つかわないで りょうり する なんて へん。
Cooking without cooking chopsticks is weird.
Literally: “long (cooking) chopsticks + don’t use (and) + cooking + do + なんて (=to say that; such a thing) + strange.”
When you're Niko for the majority of his young adult life, you can say...
料理するときはフライパンしか使わない。
りょうり する とき は フライパン しか つかわない。
I don’t use anything but a frying pan when I cook.
Literally: “cooking + do + time + は + frying pan + しか (=nothing but) + don’t use.”
When you're frantically searching for your measuring spoon, you'll say...
計量スプーンがない。捨てちゃったかも。
けいりょう スプーン が ない。 すてちゃった かも。
My measuring spoon is gone. I might have thrown it out by accident.
Literally: “measuring spoon + が + there is not. + threw away (accidentally) + might (have) (=かも).”
When looking at your friend's disgusting, old, stained cutting board, you can say...
新しいまな板買えば？
あたらしい まないた かえば？
Why don’t you buy a new cutting board?
Literally: “new + cutting board + if you bought?”
When looking at your mom's fancy Kasumi knife, you'll think...
高級包丁欲しいな～
こうきゅう ぼうちょう ほしい な～
I’d love to have a high-grade kitchen knife.
Literally: “high grade / high class + kitchen knife + wanted + な～.”
And when you've finally had it with your friend's lack of all these basic kitchen tools, you can say...
おたまもないの？！
おたま も ない の？！
You don’t even have a ladle?!
Literally: “ladle + も + there is not / don’t have + の?!”
That's all for this lesson.
I'm hungry now...
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