もやし
もやし
noun
bean sprouts
1.
bean sprouts
Young sprouted beans, most commonly mung bean sprouts. A staple inexpensive vegetable in Japanese cooking.
もやしを炒める。
To stir-fry bean sprouts.
もやしはとても安い野菜だ。
Bean sprouts are a very cheap vegetable.
ラーメンの上にもやしがたっぷり乗っていた。
There was a generous pile of bean sprouts on top of the ramen.
WRITING:
Usually written in hiragana. The kanji 萌し exists but is not commonly used.
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
One of the cheapest vegetables available at Japanese supermarkets, often used in stir-fries, ramen, and namul. Known as a go-to ingredient for budget cooking.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- もやし炒め (stir-fried bean sprouts)
- もやしのナムル (bean sprout namul)
- もやしを茹でる (to boil bean sprouts)
SLANG:
もやしっ子 refers to a weak, skinny person (like a bean sprout).