【包丁（ほうちょう）】”HŌCHŌ”
Meaning:
kitchen knife
Usage:
「合羽橋商店街には日本の包丁を買いに、多くの観光客が訪れる。」
（かっぱばししょうてんがいにはにほんのほうちょうをかいに、おおくのかんこうきゃくがおとずれる。）
(Kappa-bashi Shōtengai niwa nihon no hōchō o kaini, ōku no kankōkyaku ga otozureru.)
”Many tourists visit Kappabashi shopping street to buy Japanese knives.”
- 「合羽橋商店街 (かっぱばししょうてんがい / Kappa-bashi Shōtengai)」is a shopping district specializing in cooking utensils, where professional cooks also visit. For other recommended shopping districts in Tokyo, check out the article below.
Stroll Shotengai (Shopping Streets) in Tokyo - 「包丁 (ほうちょう / hōchō / “kitchen knife”)」is collocated with the following verbs.
- 切る (きる / kiru ) : to cut
- むく (muku) : to peel
- 刻む (きざむ / kizamu) : to chop
- 薄切りにする（うすぎりにする / usugiri ni suru) : to slice
Glossary:
- 商店街（しょうてんがい）: shopping street, shopping district
- 日本（にほん）: Japan
- 包丁（ほうちょう）: kitchen knife
- 買う（かう）: to buy
- 多い（おおい）: many, much
- 観光客（かんこうきゃく）: tourist
- 訪れる（おとずれる）: to visit
【まな板（まないた）】”MANAITA”
Meaning:
cutting board
Usage:
「日本の台所は狭いので、まな板も小さいものが売られているよ。」
（にほんのだいどころはせまいので、まないたもちいさいものがうられているよ。）
(Nihon no daidokoro wa semai node, manaita mo chĪsai mono ga urareteiruyo.)
“Japanese kitchens are small, so they sell small chopping boards.”
- There are two ways to say kitchen:「台所 (だいどころ / daidokoro)」 and 「キッチン (きっちん / kicchin)」.「台所 (だいどころ / daidokoro)」 is an older way of saying it, but both are still commonly used.
- Since kitchens in Japan, especially in urban apartments, are very small, the most popular item sold at 100 yen shops is small cutting boards. Check out “HERE” for the photo and article about 100 yen shops!
Glossary:
- 日本（にほん）: Japan
- 台所（だいどころ）: kitchen
- 狭い（せまい）: narrow
- まな板（まないた）: cutting board
- 小さい（ちいさい）: small
- 売る（うる）: to sell
- 売られる（うられる）: to be sold
【おたま】”OTAMA”
Meaning:
ladle
Usage:
「おたまの正式な名前はおたまじゃくし。蛙の子供も形が似ているので、おたまじゃくしと呼ばれるよ。」
（おたまのせいしきななまえはおたまじゃくし。かえるのこどももかたちがにているので、おたまじゃくしとよばれるよ。）
(Otama no seishiki na namae wa otama-jakushi. Kaeru no kodomo mo katachi ga niteiru node, otama-jakushi to yobareruyo.)
“The full name of a ladle is otamajakushi. Tadpoles are also called otamajakushi because they have a similar shape.”
- 「おたま (otama / “ladle”」is collocated with the following verbs.
- すくう (sukū) : to scoop
- よそう (yosou) : to ladle, to serve
- 混ぜる (まぜる / mazeru) : to mix
- 注ぐ (そそぐ / sosogu) : to pour
Glossary:
- おたま: ladle
- 正式な（せいしきな）: official, formal
- 名前（なまえ）: name
- 蛙（かえる）: frog
- 子供（こども）: child
- 形（かたち）: form, shape, figure
- 似ている（にている）: to resemble, to look like
- 呼ぶ（よぶ）: to call
- 呼ばれる（よばれる）: to be called
【菜箸（さいばし）】”SAIBASHI”
Meaning:
chopsticks for cooking
Usage:
「菜箸はトングや泡立て器の代わりにも使えて便利。」
（さいばしはとんぐやあわだてきのかわりにもつかえてべんり。）
(Saibashi wa tongu ya awadate-ki no kawari nimo tsukaete benri.)
“The chopsticks for cooking are useful as they can be used instead of tongs or a whisk.”
- 「菜箸 (さいばし / saibashi / “chopsticks for cooking”)」is a cooking utensil found in every Japanese home. It is a tool that is often used because it can be substituted for various cooking utensils and is easy to wash. They are often sold in sets of three pairs of chopsticks of three different lengths. There are also thin-tipped chopsticks sold for a delicate servings of Japanese food.
Glossary:
- 菜箸（さいばし）: chopsticks for cooking
- トング（とんぐ）: tongs
- 泡だて器（あわだてき）: whisk
- ～の代わりに（のかわりに）: instead of […], as a substitute for […]
- 使う（つかう）: to use
- 使える（つかえる）: to be able to use
- 便利（べんり）: useful, convenient
【泡立て器（あわだてき）】”AWADATE-KI”
Meaning:
out of order
Usage:
「日本の歴史の中で、泡立て器は比較的新しいキッチンツールだ。」
（にほんのれきしのなかで、あわだてきはひかくてきあたらしいきっちんつーるだ。）
(Nihon no rekishi no naka de, awadate-ki wa hikakuteki atarashĪ kicchin-tsūru da.)
“A whisk is a relatively new kitchen tool in the history of Japan.”
- 「泡だて器 (あわだてき / awadate-ki / “whisk”)」is collocated with the following verbs.
- 泡立てる (あわだてる / awadateru) : to whisk
- 混ぜる (まぜる / mazeru) : to mix
- かき混ぜる (かきまぜる / kakimazeru) : to stir
- It is said that the whisk in its current form was popularized in Europe in the 18th century, but it was not until the late 19th century that it became popular in Japan. Until then, people used chopsticks, ladles, or wooden spatulas to mix ingredients.
Glossary:
- 日本（にほん）: Japan
- 歴史（れきし）: history
- ～の中（のなか）: in […], inside of […]
- 泡だて器（あわだてき）: whisk
- 比較的（ひかくてき）: relatively, comparatively
- 新しい（あたらしい）: new
- キッチン（きっちん）: kitchen
- ツール（つーる）: tool
【キッチンバサミ（きっちんばさみ）】”KICCHIN-BASAMI”
Meaning:
kitchen shears
Usage:
「私はねぎを細かく切る時にキッチンバサミを使います。」
（わたしはねぎをこまかくきるときにきっちんばさみをつかいます。）
(Watashi wa negi o komakaku kiru tokini kicchin-basami o tsukaimasu.)
“I use kitchen shears to cut the leeks into small pieces.”
- When you cook Japanese food (ramen, miso soup, etc.), I recommend putting finely cut green onions or seaweed on top of the dish to make it look better. It is easy to use kitchen shears, and you don’t have to wash the cutting board.
- The adjective 「細かい (こまかい / komakai)」originally means being small and detailed. As an adverb, it is used to do something in small units, such as cutting things into small pieces or talking in detail, depending on the context.
Glossary:
- 私（わたし）: I, me
- ねぎ: green onion, chives, scallion
- 細かく（こまかく）: finely, in detail, into small pieces
- 切る（きる）: to cut
- ～時（とき）: when […]
- キッチンバサミ（きっちんばさみ）: kitchen shears
- 使う（つかう）: to use
【フライ返し（ふらいがえし）】”FURAI-GAESHI”
Meaning:
spatula (turner)
Usage:
「お好み焼きを上手にひっくり返すコツは、フライ返しを2つ使うことです。」
（おこのみやきをじょうずにひっくりかえすこつは、ふらいがえしをふたつつかうことです。）
(Okonomiyaki o jōzu ni hikkurikaesu kotsu wa, furai-gaeshi o futatsu tsukau koto desu.)
“The key to successfully flipping okonomiyaki is to use two spatulas (turners).”
- 「フライ返し (ふらいがえし / furai-gaeshi)」is for a spatula, and especially for a cooking utensil called a turner. A common spatula is called 「ヘラ (へら / hera)」 in Japanese.
- If you have a supermarket nearby that sells Japanese food, okonomiyaki is one of the easiest Japanese foods to cook. If you can find okonomiyaki flour (flour and soup stock can be used instead) and okonomiyaki sauce, you can make it with common ingredients: eggs, cabbages, some meat or seafood, and mayonnaise.
Glossary:
- お好み焼き（おこのみやき）: Okonomiyaki, Japanese savory pancake
- 上手に（じょうずに）: well, successfully
- ひっくり返す（ひっくりかえす）: to flip, to turn over
- コツ（こつ）: tip, key (/ secret) to success, (to get) the hang
- フライ返し（ふらいがえし）: spatula, turner *It can be used both for slotted or solid turners.
- 使う（つかう）: to use