1.
Chinese yam; nagaimo
A long, cylindrical yam (Dioscorea polystachya) widely used in Japanese cooking. When grated, it produces a sticky, slimy paste called とろろ, which is eaten over rice or in soups. One of the most common varieties of Japanese yam available in supermarkets.
長芋をすりおろす。
To grate nagaimo.
長芋は生でも食べられる。
Nagaimo can be eaten raw.
長芋を短冊切りにして醤油と海苔で食べるのが好きだ。
I like cutting nagaimo into strips and eating it with soy sauce and seaweed.
Compound of 長い ('long') and 芋 ('yam; potato'). Named for its long, straight shape, which distinguishes it from other varieties of Japanese yam. 長芋 is the most readily available and affordable variety of 山芋 (mountain yam) in Japanese supermarkets and is a staple ingredient in home cooking.
USAGE:
- When grated, 長芋 produces a sticky, mucilaginous paste called とろろ, which is poured over hot rice (とろろご飯) or into soups.
- Can also be sliced into strips (短冊切り) for salads, or cut into rounds and pan-fried.
- Handling raw 長芋 can cause itching on the skin due to needle-like calcium oxalate crystals — a commonly shared kitchen tip.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 長芋をすりおろす: to grate nagaimo
- 長芋の短冊切り: nagaimo cut into strips
- 長芋のとろろ: grated nagaimo paste
- 長芋の浅漬け: lightly pickled nagaimo
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 山芋: mountain yam — the general category of Japanese yams, of which 長芋 is one variety
- 自然薯: wild yam — a wild variety that grows naturally in mountainous areas; considered a delicacy with a stronger flavor and stickier texture
- 大和芋: Yamato yam — a flat or hand-shaped variety with a denser, stickier texture than 長芋