1.
side dishes; supplementary food items
Foods eaten alongside the staple food (typically rice in Japan). Includes dishes such as fish, meat, vegetables, pickles, and soup that accompany the main grain.
Composed of 副 (supplementary, secondary) + 食品 (food items). In traditional Japanese meal structure, food is divided into 主食 (staple food, usually rice) and 副食 (everything else). 副食品 is the formal term for these accompanying items.
Japanese meal structure
- 主食: staple food (rice, noodles, bread)
- 副食/副食品: side dishes (fish, meat, vegetables)
- 汁物: soup (miso soup, clear soup)