(まるあ)

まるあげ
noun
whole deep-frying; deep-fried whole
1. whole deep-frying; deep-fried whole
A cooking method where an ingredient — typically a small fish, shrimp, or vegetable — is deep-fried whole without cutting or filleting. Also refers to the resulting dish.
()アジの丸揚(まるあ)げを(つく)った。
I made whole deep-fried small horse mackerel.
この(さかな)(ほね)まで()べられるので、丸揚(まるあ)げにすると美味(おい)しい。
Since the bones of this fish are edible, it's delicious deep-fried whole.
居酒屋(いざかや)海老(えび)丸揚(まるあ)げを注文(ちゅうもん)したら、(あたま)から尻尾(しっぽ)までカリッと()がっていた。
When I ordered whole deep-fried shrimp at the izakaya, they were fried crispy from head to tail.

Composed of (まる) (whole, entire) and ()げ (frying). The (まる) prefix emphasizes that the ingredient is cooked whole rather than cut into pieces. Common with small fish, shrimp, and certain vegetables that can be eaten entirely after frying.

The key appeal of 丸揚(まるあ)げ is that the high oil temperature cooks the entire item — including bones, shells, or tough parts — until they become crispy and edible. This makes it a popular way to prepare small fish in Japanese home cooking and izakaya menus.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 丸揚(まるあ)げにする: to deep-fry whole
  • (さかな)丸揚(まるあ)げ: whole deep-fried fish
  • 海老(えび)丸揚(まるあ)げ: whole deep-fried shrimp
  • カリッと丸揚(まるあ)げ: crispy whole deep-fry

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 素揚(すあ)げ: plain deep-frying — frying without batter, but the ingredient may be cut or filleted
  • 唐揚(からあ)げ: Japanese-style fried chicken — typically uses cut pieces coated in flour or starch
  • (てん)ぷら: tempura — batter-coated deep-frying, usually with cut ingredients
  • 丸焼(まるや)き: whole roasting — the roasting equivalent, cooking something whole over heat