とうもろこし
とうもろこし
noun
corn, maize
1.
corn, maize
A cereal grain and the plant that produces it, widely used as food. In Japan, sweet corn is especially popular boiled or grilled.
とうもろこしを茹でる。
To boil corn.
夏はとうもろこしがおいしい季節だ。
Summer is the season when corn is delicious.
屋台で焼きとうもろこしを買って食べた。
I bought and ate grilled corn at a street stall.
Can be written in kanji as 玉蜀黍, but the hiragana or katakana form (トウモロコシ) is far more common.
REGIONAL VARIANTS:
- とうきび: used in Hokkaido and parts of Tohoku
- なんば: used in parts of Kansai
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 焼きとうもろこし (grilled corn on the cob)
- とうもろこしの粒 (corn kernels)
- コーンスープ (corn soup — uses the English loanword)
CULTURAL NOTE: Hokkaido is Japan's main corn-producing region. 焼きとうもろこし brushed with soy sauce is a classic summer festival food.