じゃがいも

じゃがいも is one of the most common vegetables in Japanese home cooking, used in a wide range of dishes from stews to salads.

Similar words

• 馬鈴薯(ばれいしょ): formal/written term for potato (agricultural and official writing)
• ポテト: used mainly in loanword compounds (フライドポテト, ポテトサラダ)

Related words

• 肉(にく)じゃが: meat and potato stew (classic home cooking)
• ポテトサラダ: potato salad
• フライドポテト: French fries
• コロッケ: croquette
• 粉(こ)ふきいも: boiled potatoes tossed until floury
• さつまいも: sweet potato
• 里芋(さといも): taro

Etymology

From ジャガタラ (Jacatra, old name for Jakarta) + いも (tuber). Dutch traders brought potatoes to Japan from Jakarta around 1600.