Japan Glossary
Hoshigarei (星鰈), also known as spotted halibut (Verasper variegatus) is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is one of the most prized flatfishes used for sushi and sashimi and is associated with the summer season. Its native habitat is the northwestern Pacific, from Japan to Korea and...
Honmaguro (ほんまぐろ) is known as the northern bluefin tuna (mainly when including Pacific bluefin as a subspecies) or as giant bluefin tuna. It is a popular choice for sushi and sashimi. There are several species of bluefin tuna, all exploited and struggling. Bluefin is expensive because of this...
The hokkigai (Spisula sachalinensis or Arctic surf clam) is an edible saltwater clam often used for sushi and sashimi. It has a red and white appearance. Its texture is crunchy and has a mild and sweet flavour. Hokkigai are found in Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, and numerous other areas. They are also...
Kakunodate (角館) is a former castle town and samurai stronghold in Akita Prefecture, sometimes referred to as the small Kyōto of Tōhoku' (みちのくの小京都 Michinoku no sho-Kyōto). It is located southwest of Lake Towada and was merged with other towns and villages in 2005 to form the town of Semboku (仙北)...
Kasai Seaside Park is a park located in Edogawa, Tōkyō. It is also known as Kasai Rinkai Park.
Hirame (平目) is the Japanese term for halibut or flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. It is prized in particular for its engawa fillets (the base of the dorsal and anal fins).
The olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), bastard halibut or Japanese flatfish, is a temperate marine species of...
Himono (干物, lit. "dried things") is the Japanese term for dried fish.
Himono is dried fish and shellfish meat. Hinomono (乾製品) is also used for "dried products", but for foods other than seafood. Dried shellfish has been found in Jomon pottery in Japan, suggesting that dried shellfish was made...
Hijiki (ヒジキ) is a variety of seaweed, usually sold dried.
Hijiki (ヒジキ, 鹿尾菜 or 羊栖菜, hijiki) (Sargassum fusiforme, syn. Hizikia fusiformis), sometimes called hiziki, is a brown sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines of East Asia. Hijiki has been a part of the Japanese culinary sphere...
Hibachi (火鉢) is the Japanese term for a charcoal grill or a brazier.
A hibachi is a ceramic, metal or timber appliance for heating, boiling water or simple cooking by burning charcoal on a bed of ashes. Also called hibitsu (火櫃) or hibake (火桶).
There are different braziers according to shape...
Hayashi Rice (ハヤシライス) is a Western-style Japanese dish similar to beef stew with onions and mushrooms.
Hayashi rice or hashed beef rice (ハヤシライス hayashi raisu) is a dish popular in Japan as a Western-style dish or yōshoku. It usually contains beef, onions, and button mushrooms, in a thick...
Hashi (箸) is the Japanese term for chopsticks.
Chopsticks are shaped pairs of equal-length sticks that have been used as kitchen and eating utensils in most of East and Southeast Asia for over three millennia. They are held in the dominant hand, secured by fingers, and wielded as extensions...
Harumaki (春巻き) is the Japanese term for spring roll.
Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese and other Southeast Asian cuisines. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably within this large area, depending...
Happōshu (発泡酒), lit. "sparkling spirits," is the Japanese term for low-malt beer.
Happōshu is a tax category of Japanese liquor that most often refers to a beer-like beverage with less than 67% malt content. The alcoholic beverage is popular among consumers for having a lower tax than...
Hanpen (半片) is a white fish paste (擂り身 surimi) product.
Hanpen is a white, square, triangle or round surimi product (fish or meat paste) with a soft, mild taste. It is believed to have been invented during the Edo period in Japan by a chef, Hanpei (半平) of Suruga, and the dish is named after...
Hamo (鱧) is the Japanese term for the daggertooth pike conger.
Daggertooth pike conger is a major commercial species, with annual catches reaching about 350,000 tonnes in recent years. It is eaten in Japanese cuisine, where it is known as hamo. In the Kansai Region, hamo no kawa (pickled...
Hakusai (白菜) is the Japanese term for Chinese cabbage or napa cabbage.
Chinese cabbage (scientific name: Brassica rapa var. glabra 'Pe-tsai') is a biennial plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family, Brassica rapa var. In Japan, it is popular as a winter vegetable and is widely grown and...
Hakumai (白米) is the Japanese term for polished, white rice
White rice is milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavour, texture and appearance of the rice and helps prevent spoilage, extend its storage life, and makes it easier to digest. After milling...
Gyōza (餃子) is the Japanese term for Chinese dumplings (jiaozi).
Gyoza is the Japanese version of jiaozi developed from recipes brought back by Japanese soldiers returning from the Japanese-backed puppet state of Manchukuo in northeastern China during World War II. The Japanese word gyōza...
Gunkan-maki (軍艦巻) is the Japanese term for seafood on rice, wrapped in laver (青海苔 アオノリ aonori).
Gunkanmaki is a type of sushi made by wrapping vinegared rice in nori (seaweed) and placing sushi toppings on top. It was named for its resemblance to a warship. It is characterised by being able...
Gobō (ゴボウ) is the Japanese term for burdock (root).
Burdock (also known as greater burdock or gobō; scientific name: Arctium lappa L.) is a perennial herb belonging to the burdock genus of the Asteraceae family native to Eurasia. In Japan, it is eaten as a vegetable and root crop. In the...