1.
burdock root
An edible root vegetable widely used in Japanese cooking. Long, thin, and brownish in color with an earthy flavor and crunchy texture. Rich in dietary fiber.
牛蒡をささがきにする。
I shave the burdock root into thin strips.
きんぴら牛蒡は日本の家庭料理の定番だ。
Kinpira burdock is a staple of Japanese home cooking.
牛蒡は食物繊維が豊富で体にいいと言われている。
Burdock root is said to be rich in dietary fiber and good for the body.
USAGE:
Often written in hiragana as ごぼう, since the kanji 牛蒡 are rarely used in everyday writing. A staple vegetable in Japanese cuisine, used in dishes like きんぴらごぼう (stir-fried burdock), 筑前煮 (simmered chicken and vegetables), and 豚汁 (pork miso soup).
CULTURAL NOTE:
Burdock root is consumed almost exclusively in Japan and a few other East Asian countries. Visitors from Western countries are often unfamiliar with it. The expression ごぼう抜き (pulling out like a burdock root) means overtaking several people at once in a race.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- きんぴら牛蒡: stir-fried burdock
- 牛蒡サラダ: burdock salad
- 牛蒡抜き: overtaking others one by one
- ささがき牛蒡: shaved burdock