1.
fatty meat; the fat portion of meat
The white, fatty part of meat as opposed to the lean red portion. Refers to the visible fat on cuts of beef, pork, or other meats.
脂身が多い肉だ。
This is meat with a lot of fat.
脂身の少ない赤身の肉が好きだ。
I like lean meat with little fat.
和牛の脂身は口の中でとろけるように柔らかい。
The fat on wagyu beef is so soft it melts in your mouth.
An essential food vocabulary word. In Japanese cuisine, the quality and marbling of fat (霜降り) is highly valued, especially in beef. The balance between 脂身 and 赤身 (lean meat) is a key topic when discussing meat quality.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 脂身が多い: fatty, high in fat
- 脂身が少ない: lean, low in fat
- 脂身を取り除く: to trim the fat
- 脂身と赤身: fat and lean portions
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 赤身: lean meat — the opposite, the red, lean portion
- 脂肪: fat (as a substance) — more scientific/nutritional term
- 霜降り: marbling — the fine distribution of fat within lean meat, highly prized in wagyu