Last article we learned ingredients. Now let's learn how to "cook." Japanese cooking methods and flavor descriptions can all be precisely expressed through kanji.
Walk into a Japanese restaurant and see 焼き魚, 煮物, 蒸し鶏 on the menu — after this article, you'll know exactly how each dish is prepared.
Core Kanji Table
Cooking Methods
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Dish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 煮 | シャ (sha) | に (ni) | boil, simmer | 煮る (にる, to simmer), 煮物 (にもの, simmered dish) | 煮物 = simmered vegetables |
| 焼 | ショウ (shō) | や (ya) | grill, bake | 焼く (やく, to grill), 焼き鳥 (やきとり, grilled chicken) | 焼き魚 = grilled fish |
| 蒸 | ジョウ (jō) | む (mu) | steam | 蒸す (むす, to steam), 蒸気 (じょうき, steam) | 茶碗蒸し = steamed egg custard |
| 炒 | ソウ (sō) | いた (ita) | stir-fry | 炒める (いためる, to stir-fry), 炒飯 (チャーハン, fried rice) | 野菜炒め = stir-fried vegetables |
| 揚 | ヨウ (yō) | あ (a) | deep-fry | 揚げる (あげる, to deep-fry), 唐揚げ (からあげ, fried chicken) | 天ぷら = tempura |
| 漬 | — | つ (tsu) | pickle | 漬ける (つける, to pickle), 漬物 (つけもの, pickles) | 漬物 = Japanese pickles |
| 炊 | スイ (sui) | た (ta) | cook (rice) | 炊く (たく, to cook rice), 炊飯器 (すいはんき, rice cooker) | 炊き込みご飯 = mixed rice |
| 沸 | フツ (futsu) | わ (wa) | boil | 沸く (わく, to boil), 沸騰 (ふっとう, boiling) | お湯が沸いた = water boiled |
Flavor Descriptions
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 味 | ミ (mi) | あじ (aji) | taste | 味わう (あじわう, to savor), 調味料 (ちょうみりょう, seasoning) | 味が濃い = rich flavor |
| 甘 | カン (kan) | あま (ama) | sweet | 甘い (あまい, sweet), 甘口 (あまくち, mild/sweet) | 甘い卵焼き = sweet omelet |
| 苦 | ク (ku) | にが (niga) | bitter | 苦い (にがい, bitter), 苦味 (にがみ, bitterness) | 苦いコーヒー = bitter coffee |
| 辛 | シン (shin) | から (kara)・つら (tsura) | spicy | 辛い (からい, spicy), 辛口 (からくち, hot/dry) | 辛いカレー = spicy curry |
| 酸 | サン (san) | す (su) | sour | 酸っぱい (すっぱい, sour), 酸味 (さんみ, acidity) | 酸っぱい梅干し = sour pickled plum |
| 鮮 | セン (sen) | あざ (aza) | fresh | 新鮮 (しんせん, fresh), 鮮度 (せんど, freshness) | 新鮮な刺身 = fresh sashimi |
| 旨 | シ (shi) | うま (uma) | delicious | 旨い (うまい, tasty), 旨味 (うまみ, umami) | 旨い！= Delicious! |
| 濃 | ノウ (nō) | こ (ko) | rich, thick | 濃い (こい, rich), 濃厚 (のうこう, rich/heavy) | 味が濃い = strong flavor |
| 淡 | タン (tan) | あわ (awa) | light, pale | 淡い (あわい, faint), 淡白 (たんぱく, bland) | 淡白な味 = delicate flavor |
Food States
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 熟 | ジュク (juku) | う (u) | ripe, mature | 熟す (じゅくす, to ripen), 成熟 (せいじゅく, maturity) | 完熟トマト = fully ripe tomato |
| 腐 | フ (fu) | くさ (kusa) | rot, soft | 豆腐 (とうふ, tofu), 腐る (くさる, to rot) | 豆腐 = tofu (腐 ≠ rotten) |
| 醸 | ジョウ (jō) | かも (kamo) | brew | 醸造 (じょうぞう, brewing), 醸す (かもす, to brew) | 醸造醤油 = naturally brewed soy sauce |
Radical Patterns: Fire and Water
Cooking kanji revolve around two core radicals:
| Radical | Name | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 火/灬 | hi-hen / rekka | fire, heat | 焼, 煮, 炒, 炊, 蒸, 熟 |
| 氵 | sanzui | water, liquid | 沸, 漬, 淡, 濃, 酸 |
See 火 or 灬 (four dots = fire variant)? It's about heat. See 氵? It's about liquid.
Decoding Japanese Restaurant Menus
With cooking kanji, you can decode any Japanese menu:
| Menu Term | Breakdown | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 焼き魚定食 | 焼き (grilled) + 魚 (fish) + 定食 (set meal) | Grilled fish set |
| 煮込みうどん | 煮込み (simmered) + うどん (udon) | Simmered udon |
| 蒸し鶏サラダ | 蒸し (steamed) + 鶏 (chicken) + サラダ (salad) | Steamed chicken salad |
| 野菜炒め | 野菜 (vegetables) + 炒め (stir-fried) | Stir-fried vegetables |
| 唐揚げ | 唐 (Chinese-style) + 揚げ (deep-fried) | Japanese fried chicken |
Cultural Note: The さしすせそ of Japanese Cooking
Japanese cooking has a mnemonic called 「さしすせそ」 — representing five basic seasonings and the order to add them:
The reasoning: Sugar has large molecules and needs time to penetrate food — add it first. Salt has small molecules — it works quickly, so add it later. Soy sauce and miso contain volatile aromatics — add them last to preserve flavor.
Practice
Q1. How is 焼き鳥 prepared?
Show answer
Grilled. 焼き (やき) = grilled/roasted, 鳥 (とり) = chicken. 焼き鳥 = grilled chicken skewers.
Q2. You see 揚げ出し豆腐 on the menu. How was the tofu prepared?
Show answer
Deep-fried. 揚げ (あげ) = deep-fried. 揚げ出し豆腐 = deep-fried tofu served in dashi broth.
Q3. What do 辛口 and 甘口 mean?
Show answer
辛口 = spicy/dry (for curry or sake, indicates strong/hot), 甘口 = sweet/mild. You'll see these when buying curry roux or sake.
Q4. What's the さしすせそ seasoning order?
Show answer
Sugar (さとう) → Salt (しお) → Vinegar (す) → Soy sauce (しょうゆ) → Miso (みそ). Ordered by molecule size — sugar first because it needs time to penetrate, miso last to preserve aroma.
Q5. Why doesn't 腐 in 豆腐 mean "rotten"?
Show answer
腐 here preserves its ancient meaning — soft, jelly-like texture. 豆腐 = soybeans made into a soft, curd-like food. Nothing to do with spoilage.
Summary
- Cooking kanji core radicals: 火/灬 (heat) and 氵 (liquid)
- Japanese 焼く covers a wide range — grilling, baking, pan-frying, roasting
- Menu decoding: cooking method + ingredient + 定食/セット (set meal)
- Japanese seasoning order さしすせそ: Sugar → Salt → Vinegar → Soy sauce → Miso
- Next up: From table to culture — learn dining culture kanji like 碗, 箸, 丼