1.
strawberry
A red, sweet fruit with seeds on its surface. Popular in Japan, especially in desserts.
Usually written in hiragana or katakana (イチゴ); the kanji 苺 is less common.
Compounds
- いちご狩り: strawberry picking (at greenhouse farms, roughly January to May)
- いちご大福: mochi filled with a strawberry and sweet bean paste
- いちごジャム: strawberry jam
- いちごミルク: strawberry milk
Watch out
- Japanese ショートケーキ is a sponge cake layered with whipped cream and topped with strawberries, not a biscuit-style shortcake
Cultural note
Strawberries in Japan are grown mostly in greenhouses and are in season from winter to spring, peaking around Christmas, when demand for strawberry cakes is high. Premium brands such as あまおう and とちおとめ are large, sweet, and often given as gifts.