しじみ

しじみ
noun
freshwater clam
foodanimal-general
1. freshwater clam, corbicula
A small freshwater bivalve commonly used in Japanese cooking, especially in miso soup. Prized for its rich flavor and believed to be good for the liver.
しじみの味噌汁(みそしる)。
Freshwater clam miso soup.
しじみは肝臓(かんぞう)に良(よ)いと言(い)われている。
Freshwater clams are said to be good for the liver.
宍道湖(しんじこ)はしじみの産地(さんち)として有名(ゆうめい)だ。
Lake Shinji is famous as a production area for freshwater clams.

Writing

Can be written as 蜆(しじみ), but the hiragana or katakana form is far more common in everyday use.

Cultural note

しじみの味噌汁(みそしる) is a classic Japanese home-cooking dish, often served the morning after drinking alcohol because しじみ is believed to support liver function. 宍道湖(しんじこ) (Lake Shinji) in Shimane Prefecture is Japan's most famous しじみ production area.

Common collocations

  • しじみの味噌汁(みそしる): freshwater clam miso soup
  • しじみ汁(じる): clam broth
  • しじみの砂抜(すなぬ)き: purging sand from clams

Related Words

Compare: ハマグリ (clam (hard-shell clam))
general
Added 2026.2.9 13:11 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
17500/17623_shijimi