1.
serving plate; large plate for arranging food
A plate, often larger and shallower than an individual dish, used to display or serve food that has been arranged on it — sashimi, fruit, sweets, side dishes, or hors d'oeuvres. Found in Japanese restaurants, izakaya, home dining, and as a sales unit ('plate of X') in food shops.
Compound of 盛る ('to heap; to arrange (food on a plate)') and 皿 ('plate'); the second element undergoes rendaku, becoming ざら. Refers specifically to a plate used to display or serve arranged food, often larger than an individual dish.
Usage
- Common in restaurant menus and price lists, e.g., 刺身盛り皿 ('sashimi serving plate') or 果物盛り皿 ('fruit platter').
- May refer to either the plate itself or the food arranged on it (e.g., 'a plate of sashimi').
- The verb 盛る ('to heap up; to arrange on a plate') is at the heart of Japanese 盛り付け ('food presentation'), which 盛り皿 supports.
Common collocations
- 盛り皿に並べる: to arrange on a serving plate
- 大きな盛り皿: a large serving plate
- 刺身の盛り皿: a sashimi serving plate
- 盛り皿料理: dishes served on a serving plate
- 盛り皿一つ: one serving plate (often a price unit)
Similar words
- 大皿: large plate — close synonym; emphasizes size of the plate rather than the act of arranging food.
- 取り皿: small plate for taking individual portions from a shared dish — counterpart used by each diner.
- 盛り合わせ: assortment; combination plate — refers to a mixed selection of food (often on a single plate), e.g., 刺身の盛り合わせ.
- プレート: plate (loanword) — used in Western-style menu language, often for single-serve plates.
- 皿: plate — the general word for any plate.