食 材(しょくざい)

しょくざい

noun

ingredient, foodstuff

1. ingredient, foodstuff, cooking ingredient

Raw materials used in cooking; food items before they are prepared into a dish.

新鮮(しんせん)な食材(しょくざい)を使(つか)う。

Use fresh ingredients.

旬(しゅん)の食材(しょくざい)は美味(おい)しい。

Seasonal ingredients are delicious.

旬 refers to the peak season for food

冷蔵庫(れいぞうこ)にある食材(しょくざい)で何(なに)か作(つく)ろう。

Let's make something with the ingredients in the fridge.

A general term for cooking ingredients. Related terms:

材料(ざいりょう) - materials/ingredients (broader, also non-food)
具(ぐ)/具材(ぐざい) - ingredients/toppings (in dishes like ramen, soup)
原材料(げんざいりょう) - raw materials (on food labels)

Common collocations:

食材(しょくざい)を買(か)う (buy ingredients)
食材(しょくざい)を揃(そろ)える (gather ingredients)
地元(じもと)の食材(しょくざい) (local ingredients)
高級(こうきゅう)食材(しょくざい) (premium ingredients)

Related Words

Related: 食料品(しょくりょうひん) (groceries)

Synonym: 材料(ざいりょう) (materials (broader))

Related: 調味料(ちょうみりょう) (seasoning)

Homophone: 贖罪(しょくざい) (atonement)

general

Added 2026.1.14 21:50 · Revised 2026.6.4 1:09

04500/04940_shokuzai